Will Ye Also Turn Away?
Fortunately, I have experienced the joys of life and I have loved and been loved. However, I have also suffered from great loss and bitter disappointments. Have you? Of course! These are all parts of the human condition!
During one particularly hard time, I felt forgotten by God and I wondered why I bothered to pray because it didn’t seem to help me like I wanted. In my anger, I contemplated turning away from Him as if I didn’t need Him, even though I knew He was there. I thought of others that I know who seem to be okay without being religious and I wondered. As I contemplated this over some time, and when I was honest with myself, I realized that this course of action would make my life feel without purpose and therefore very bleak. Why would I turn away from the only hope and goodness of life? I then asked God to help me to learn to trust Him and to accept his will for me. That is harder than it sounds!
As difficult as this time was, I am now grateful for it because I have already made my decision and I now know my direction is to always follow God and I don’t have to wonder any longer. I thought of this when someone in sacrament meeting referred to the story from the book of John where it talks about how some were offended by Christ’s teachings and turned away from him. It reads:
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Christ didn’t ask his apostles this question for his own knowledge. Rather, he asked the question so that they might know the answer for themselves and therefore be strengthened and taught during the process. Just like I was. Questions are a great way to build testimonies and Christ knew this, so he used questions as he taught.
I then thought of the story of the rich young man found in Matt chapter 19. The Savior asked him a series of questions about his obedience to God’s commandments and the young man answered quickly and easily, until it came his own question that he asked of the Savior:
“All these things have I kept from my youth up; what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.”
Unfortunately, the rich young man was not yet willing to confront what he lacked- a residue of a weakness in his testimony was exposed. Because of this, he wasn’t ready to follow the Savior when the invitation came so he went away sorrowing.
Brothers and Sisters, I encourage you to do what the Savior taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:7 where it reads:
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
I have a strong testimony that If you do this, you will be ready to answer the call to follow the Savior when YOU need it and this will give you the strength and courage to face the challenges of life.
