Once upon a time I was riding in the car and we were just going around the corner (maybe 100 yards) so I didn't fasten my seatbelt. The little bell that goes off to remind you to wear your sealtbelt started chirping (ding.......ding.......ding........ding........) and I ignored it because we were only going a short distance. Normally I fasten my seatbelt by the time it starts dinging but this time I was feeling somewhat rebellious and decided just to wait it out. To my surprise (and annoyance) the warning came faster and more persistent (DingDingDingDing!). No, I thought, we're almost there, I'll be fine without it. Finally, shortly before we arrived at our destination, the car went silent. No more ringing noise. We got out of the car and went on with our afternoon. But the thought that kept coming back was that there's a gospel analogy hidden in that experience... :)
Ignoring what you've been taught and what the Spirit is prompting you to do is known in the scriptures as being willfully rebellious. The seat belt reminder is like the warning voice of the Holy Ghost. If you're being disobedient, the Spirit will send you gentle promptings to change your behavior or course of action. If it's really important, the warnings will get more frequent and more persistent. (Sound familiar?) But just like the car alarm, if you ignore the Spirit long enough eventually it will go away and leave you to face the consequences of your actions.
So remember to buckle up...and follow the promptings of the Spirit!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
#16: Energy-efficient lighting
I flicked on the lightswitch in our bedroom the other day and it got me thinking...
We have those new energy-efficient lightbulbs that everyone's getting these days. You know the ones that take forever to actually get bright? I was thinking about how our testimonies are kinda like that. When we first gain a testimony of something, it's kind of like switching on the light. At first you notice a big difference because you've gone from total darkness to being able to see what's around you. But then, if you keep waiting the light gets brighter. Sometimes it happens so slowly that you don't really notice a change at first. But if you compare how much brighter it is from when you first turned the light on, you can definitely tell that the light is getting stronger.
Strangely enough, the scripture at the top of my blog has this same principle in it. (And I didn't even plan that!) :)
"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." -D&C 50:24
Take a minute and look at something you have a testimony of (prayer, scripture study, following the propeht, paying tithing, etc.) Think about when it first really clicked with you. Now look where you are. It's a lot brighter huh? The important thing to remember though is that you have to leave the electricity running through the lightbulb long enough to let it get bright. Just the same, you have to keep feeding and building your testimony if you expect it to get brighter and stronger.
We have those new energy-efficient lightbulbs that everyone's getting these days. You know the ones that take forever to actually get bright? I was thinking about how our testimonies are kinda like that. When we first gain a testimony of something, it's kind of like switching on the light. At first you notice a big difference because you've gone from total darkness to being able to see what's around you. But then, if you keep waiting the light gets brighter. Sometimes it happens so slowly that you don't really notice a change at first. But if you compare how much brighter it is from when you first turned the light on, you can definitely tell that the light is getting stronger.
Strangely enough, the scripture at the top of my blog has this same principle in it. (And I didn't even plan that!) :)
"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." -D&C 50:24
Take a minute and look at something you have a testimony of (prayer, scripture study, following the propeht, paying tithing, etc.) Think about when it first really clicked with you. Now look where you are. It's a lot brighter huh? The important thing to remember though is that you have to leave the electricity running through the lightbulb long enough to let it get bright. Just the same, you have to keep feeding and building your testimony if you expect it to get brighter and stronger.
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