In
the Bible Dictionary, under the heading of Grace, it talks about the kind of
grace we just talked about, but it also speaks of grace as an enabling power
that gives the faithful and repentant soul strength and assistance to do good
works that we otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to our own means.
With this usage of the word, Christ doesn’t just step in after we’ve done all we can do, He walks alongside us. He doesn’t
just make up the difference, He is
the difference.
In
Alma 7 we read that Christ took upon him our infirmities, pains, afflictions
and temptations. Isaiah said He would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows.
Why did He do all this? Wasn’t the atonement just about overcoming death and
sin?
Jesus
Christ suffered all these things and more, so that he would know how to succor
His people. He suffered everything possible for man to suffer, so no one would
ever be able to say, “But Jesus, you just don’t know how I feel.” And instead,
He says to us, “I know how you feel.”
The
Savior’s grace enables us to overcome any hardship, any trial, any pain or
sorrow. He’s not just there to grant us forgiveness. He’s also there to lift
our heart and strengthen our weaknesses. He’s there so we don’t have to do it
alone.
This
is a lesson I’m still working on learning. On my mission, I struggled with the
balance between grace and justice. I foolishly thought I could do it all
myself, and would only need the Savior’s grace a little at the end (more like a LOT at the end). I felt like
I was working hard, and struggling to do what’s right, but never getting
anywhere.
Then
one night I had a dream. In it I found myself in a place I assumed was the
Spirit World. I knew there was a place where Christ was, but didn’t feel
comfortable going there. Instead I cleaned the walls of a building, scrubbing them
with a push broom. After a time of hard work, I’d return to the place where
Christ was, only to return to my work without having seen the Savior.
This
happened a number of times, and I came to understand that the building was a
symbol of my “mansion in heaven” that Christ spoke of when leaving his apostles
in Jerusalem. When I woke and wrote down my dream and shared it with my
companion, I interpreted it as meaning I had a lot of work to do to be worthy
to enter Christ’s presence.
While
this dream has been a special experience for me, it has also hung over my head
for many years, as I think of all I need to change so I can feel comfortable in
Christ’s presence. What I am only now beginning to realize, is that Christ
wasn’t sitting there, sending me away to work on my mansion. Christ told his
apostles that He would go to prepare a place for them. He would do it.
I
pridefully thought it was up to me, and foolishly believed I could do it on my
own. Little did I realize, that we can’t become like the Savior unless we walk
side-by-side with Him. We have to allow him to take His half of the yoke, we
can’t do it alone.
Instead
of walking back to my work in shame, all I had to do was ask Him to help. . Instead of
scrubbing endlessly with a push broom, Christ could have come with his
pressure-washer and done for me what I couldn’t do for myself.
You
see, grace doesn’t just fill the gap between us and perfection. Grace fills us.
It doesn’t just become active after all we can do, it helps us before, during
and after all we can do.
(more about this in a later post)
No comments:
Post a Comment