Just Take the Stairs
President Nelson has encouraged us to practice daily repentance. At first when I heard him, I thought he was asking the impossible! If I have a hard time repenting over months and months, how can I do it daily? What I didn’t know until I experimented with daily repentance was that this was the key for me to actually make real permanent changes in my life.
I used to think that the only way to repent was to simply stop sinning, Then when I knew that my behavior had changed for good, I would ask God for forgiveness. It was a simple strategy, but the problem was that it was easy to slip into my bad habits so it felt like I was starting over and over again with little progress.
It was like approaching a set of big steps that I needed to climb ALL BY MYSELF. The foundation of change was precarious and every step difficult. It was hard to see progress because I was too worried about making a mistake and falling again. I thought that I could not access the atonement until after I had completely conquered my sin. I falsely thought that the Savior would not want to help me because I was a sinner. I often doubted my strength and ability and this would discourage me.
After experimenting with daily repentance, I now realize that I was misguided before. Repentance isn’t something we must do alone, in fact the Lord wants to help us change. In Mosiah 26:30 it says: “Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.” Feeling sorrow or remorse is part of the process because it compels us to change, but feeling condemned and without worth is Satan's tactic to get us to hide our sins and from God. Inviting the Lord’s help always brings success. For me, it is like using stairs to achieve my goals rather than trying to climb a cliff by myself.
Now, as I repent daily, I pray for forgiveness for specific sins and I ask for God’s help in overcoming them. When I do this, ideas often come to my mind and then as I go about my day, I can feel the Savior’s encouragement blessing me with strength. My foundation for change is slow but stable, but it feels more permanent so I have less fear of falling.
Sister Camille Johnson described this thought so well in our last General Conference. She said:
Jesus Christ provides a way for us to be relieved of the weight of sin. Jesus Christ is our relief. He said:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [that is, relief and peace].
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
That the yoke is easy and the burden is light presumes we get in the yoke with the Savior, that we share our burdens with Him, that we let Him lift our load. That means entering into a covenant relationship with God and keeping that covenant, which, as President Nelson has explained, “makes everything about life easier.” He said, “Yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.”
So why are we stingy with our rocks? Why would a weary baseball pitcher refuse to leave the mound when a reliever is there ready to complete the game? Why would I insist on maintaining my post alone when the Reliever stands ready to keep it with me?
President Nelson has taught, “Jesus Christ … stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.”
So why do we insist on carrying our rocks alone?
It is intended as a personal question for each of you to consider.
For me, it is the age-old vice of pride. “I’ve got this,” I say. “No worries; I’ll get it done.” It’s the great deceiver who wants me to hide from God, to turn away from Him, to go at it alone.
Brothers and sisters, I can’t go at it alone, and I don’t need to, and I won’t. Choosing to be bound to my Savior, Jesus Christ, through the covenants I have made with God, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yZ103m1KgE
I now realize that my old way of repenting didn’t work well because I was “skipping over” the Savior because I didn’t recognize my dependance on Him during the process. This actually goes against my sacramental covenants to “Always remember Him.” I am so grateful that I finally gave daily repentance a try because it has made all the difference for me.
