Humility 4

I turned to a new source, "Preach My Gospel". In the section on Christlike Attributes humility is discussed by looking at its opposite, pride. "To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God or in His servants." This phrase sparked a thought that help me better understand my dependence on the Lord. Do I trust myself to maintain my involuntary body functions? No. When I go to sleep at night I do nothing to make sure I keep breathing. Is a little angel there blowing in my nostrils? No, however, I am created by God and it is his light that gives me life and sustains the spark of life in me - that keeps this "machine" running. Heavenly Father gives me part of the responsiblilty to eat, sleep, and be safe. He takes care of the rest of it.

Another phrase from "Preach My Gospel" helped link humility back to my initial reason for beginning this study - getting all riled up about people embracing/promoting/enforcing ideas and practices that are against principles of freedom. "Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than other people. Pride usually results in feelings of anger and hatred, and it is a great stumbling block." Sometimes anger is not prideful*. However, if I am sarcastic, flippant, and putting people down - I need to check myself.

*The Lord angers at wickedness Psalm 7:11 Moses 6:27

I found myself relating to the actions of Laman and Lemuel below. They down-played the power of the Lord. I know there is more power in prayer than I access.

1 Nephi 15

7 And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the aolive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

8 And I said unto them: Have ye ainquired of the Lord?
9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?
11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

Perhaps that will be my next topic - praying in faith.