Lord, I will Follow Thee...

To be a true disciple of Christ or not to be a true disciple of Christ,,, that is not the question, but rather HOW will I be a true disciple of Christ?

Luke 10:38-42, 11: 1-13, 12:13-40, 13:23-24, 14: 16-33

What it means to be a disciple of Christ:

• Obedient
• Watchful
• Ask, Seek, Knock
• Seek the Kingdom of God before anything else
• Willing to Sacrifice.

Just like you wouldn't build a tower without seeing if you had enough money, or go to war without comparing numbers and strength, you wouldn't go about being a disciple of Christ without the willingness to sacrifice all you have. This really struck me. If I am to become a true disciple of Christ, I must first be willing to put aside anything. With this attitude, nothing will stand in the way of bringing others unto Christ. I don't have enough time? Oh wait... I'm on a mission to be a true disciple of Christ, so therefore, the Lord's time is much more valuable than my own time. I'm not strong enough? Oh wait... I'm on a mission to becoming a true disciple of Christ, so therefore I am going to put aside my pride and selfishness and become strong enough. When I look at this way... it just makes so much more sense. Why would I attempt at becoming a disciple if I wasn't willing to sacrifice? I wouldn't. This new mind set would change my life because it would make setting aside things to leave room for the more important things easier.

What is ultimately required to become a disciple of Christ?
Sacrifice; a willingness to give up all that we have to follow Christ and bring others along with us. The path that Christ would have us go is not meant to be climbed alone.

Any kid will run any errand for you if you ask at bedtime. ~Red Skelton

Matthew 18:3-4, D&C 78:17-18

How are we like little children?

We are like little children in the sense that there is so much ahead of us that we can't even comprehend. Heavenly Father has prepared blessings for us with his own hands and we don't even know how great they are. You can sit a child down and tell them over and over how amazing the temple is; but until they actually go inside, they will not be able to comprehend how great it is. We are also like little children in the sense that there is still so much to learn. Age 20 isn't too old, but if I tried to tell a child everything I knew all at once, they would not be able to bear it. The same is with our Heavenly Father. If he were to reveal all the mysteries of the world to us now, and told us everything he has to say to us, we would not be able to bear it. (John 16:13)

This might sound overwhelming or hopeless, but luckily the Lord hasn't left us alone. In D&C 78:18, the Lord tells us to be of good cheer because he will lead us along. We may not know everything and we may not be ready to know everything, but there is one thing we do know; and that is that our Heavenly Father loves us and is always there to lead us. We just need to make sure we're following him.

Mosiah 3:19 tells us to put off the natural man and become as little children. To do so we need to become:

• Meek
• Submissive
• Humble
• Patient
• Full of love
• Willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit

I have two younger brothers and have had many teaching opportunities in my life to know that these are indeed qualities that little children have. I love being around children for this very reason. They make me want to be better. They are so full of love and so willing to do whatever is asked of them. Christ said, "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." We are never too wise to learn from little children.

If you haven't time to respond to a tug at your pants leg, your schedule is too crowded.  ~Robert Brault



   

Feeding of the Multitudes

The Savior provided two similar miracles. Here's a summary of what took place.

	Matthew 14:14-21	Matthew 15:32-38
Who was present?	Christ, his disciples, and a multitude.	Christ, his disciples, and a multitude.
What did they need?	Food; they were hungry Healing; they were sick	Food; they were hungry.
What were they able to offer in an effort to meet that need?	Five loaves, and two fishes.	Seven loaves and a  few fishes.
What words or phrases describe the Savior’s feeling toward the multitudes in their time of need?	"Moved with compassion."  "They need not depart." "Bring them hither to me."	"I have compassion on the multitude." "I will not send them away fasting."
What words or phrases describe what the Savior was able to provide for the multitudes?	"And they did all eat, and were filled."	"And they did all eat, and were filled."

In these stories, the food they had wasn't sufficient enought to feed everyone. Yet, with the help of the Lord, he was able to overcome this insufficiency. Romas 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Human effort is insufficient in receiving the glory of God. We are not perfect and have sinned, therefore, we can not possibly receive the glory of God on our own.
Ether 12:27 talks about how if we humble ourselves before the Lord and have faith in Him, then He will make our weaknesses become our strengths. The Lord helps us overcome the insufficiency talked about in Romas 2:23 by making our weaknesses become our strengths. What do we need to do? Turn to Him and have faith.