After the Manner of God
I've been thinking a lot this week and it's been hard to choose just one or two topics to write about today. There are so many life lessons to be learned from the scriptures. However, there is one topic that I have been thinking about a lot lately. There is one scripture in 1 Nephi 18 where Nephi indirectly talks about this topic. In a previous chapter, Nephi had been commanded to build a ship and in chapter 18 he finishes that ship. In verse 2 of chapter 18, he describes how he built the ship, he says "Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men."
I don't think Nephi wrote this verse solely intending on teaching us how to build a ship. I'm sure there are many ways to interpret this verse, but to me, I've always thought of one interpretation. This verse is about how to build our lives. We are not to build our lives after the manner of men, but after the manner of God.
I feel like sometimes we miss the big picture in our day to day lives. It is easy to just think about the tasks of the day and what I need to get done, but totally miss the point. I'm not here to just go to school every day and get good grades so that I can go to more school and get a good job. Every Sunday, we promise to always remember Christ, but how quickly do we forget. I can't speak for anyone else, but if I were to simply speak for myself, I'm afraid I would be rather embarrassed. In the grand scheme of things, what will really matter? Will it matter whether or not I got everything done today that I planned on doing? How much will it matter if I get my homework done with enough time to maybe catch a show on Netflix tonight? It is fun today and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but there is if I did so at the cost of helping someone along the way. I think I allow Satan to win my day if he fails at getting me to doubt God, but wins at getting me to forget about Him for a little while.
Christ gave His whole life for me. I don't just mean the garden, the cross, and the empty tomb, I mean everything before that as well. He literally gave everything, every single second of every single day for me, for each of us, but I have a hard enough time remembering to even just help one person a day, to help lift someone and make them feel like somebody cares today.
I know that I'm not a terrible person, but I also know that I have a long ways to go. I'm grateful for a patient Savior who is full of grace and is willing to help me every time I stumble. I'm grateful for loving family and friends who continually show me what Christlike examples really are like and I'm grateful for those little pieces of Heaven that God gives us, every time we do something that we know is right. God is oh so good and I love Him. I can never truly say how grateful I am for a loving God who never ever gives up on me and a Savior who was willing to pay the ultimate price, so that I can one day return home. I can't imagine that kind of love. I often think of the first couple lines of the song "Amazing Grace." "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." I'd like to end this post with some of my favorite verses in all of scripture. In Matthew 16, verses 24-27, Christ says the following:
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
God lives, Christ lives. The Gospel is true and I am eternally grateful for it.
I don't think Nephi wrote this verse solely intending on teaching us how to build a ship. I'm sure there are many ways to interpret this verse, but to me, I've always thought of one interpretation. This verse is about how to build our lives. We are not to build our lives after the manner of men, but after the manner of God.
I feel like sometimes we miss the big picture in our day to day lives. It is easy to just think about the tasks of the day and what I need to get done, but totally miss the point. I'm not here to just go to school every day and get good grades so that I can go to more school and get a good job. Every Sunday, we promise to always remember Christ, but how quickly do we forget. I can't speak for anyone else, but if I were to simply speak for myself, I'm afraid I would be rather embarrassed. In the grand scheme of things, what will really matter? Will it matter whether or not I got everything done today that I planned on doing? How much will it matter if I get my homework done with enough time to maybe catch a show on Netflix tonight? It is fun today and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but there is if I did so at the cost of helping someone along the way. I think I allow Satan to win my day if he fails at getting me to doubt God, but wins at getting me to forget about Him for a little while.
Christ gave His whole life for me. I don't just mean the garden, the cross, and the empty tomb, I mean everything before that as well. He literally gave everything, every single second of every single day for me, for each of us, but I have a hard enough time remembering to even just help one person a day, to help lift someone and make them feel like somebody cares today.
I know that I'm not a terrible person, but I also know that I have a long ways to go. I'm grateful for a patient Savior who is full of grace and is willing to help me every time I stumble. I'm grateful for loving family and friends who continually show me what Christlike examples really are like and I'm grateful for those little pieces of Heaven that God gives us, every time we do something that we know is right. God is oh so good and I love Him. I can never truly say how grateful I am for a loving God who never ever gives up on me and a Savior who was willing to pay the ultimate price, so that I can one day return home. I can't imagine that kind of love. I often think of the first couple lines of the song "Amazing Grace." "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." I'd like to end this post with some of my favorite verses in all of scripture. In Matthew 16, verses 24-27, Christ says the following:
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
God lives, Christ lives. The Gospel is true and I am eternally grateful for it.
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