Willing To Stand

When you take away all the possessions we have in this life, strip away the titles, all the labels, and society as a whole, we are left with ourselves. The raw materials of what we are, and what we make of ourselves. The only thing that God has allowed us have, to keep, is our will. Our agency to make choices, and ability to become. The only real form of control that exists in this world is self control. The only things you control completely that you can dedicate to any task are your desire, your focus, and your effort. Each are dictated by the other, and each element must be present to successfully accomplish any task with meaningful results. your desire, focus, and effort are your heart, mind, and strength. They constitute your will. As we exercise our own agency, or will, we grow and mature in our capacities.

An example of this is in learning eternal truth. We will not attain greater light and knowledge against our will. We must first desire it. We allocate time to it, with real intention of having our understanding changed. Then, it must become the center of our focus, the goal in our sights. Then we must pursue it with all the strength we can muster, acting in all diligence. This is the pattern established in Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;". As we ask, what are we given? Opportunity. It is all around us, yet it is not found until we seek it, giving our attention to the expected answer. Then, we must seize it when it comes. What is it that is opened as we knock? The windows of heaven. One cannot passively receive meaningful revelation. We must will it to be. Even if you can no more than desire it, let this desire work within you.

We all do certain things that we don't want to, because we know we need to. It is obvious when our heart isn't in it, it shows in our actions, in our words, in our face. Often when we do something we don't want to be doing, we let our mind wander. We lose sight of the end goal, and aimlessly do the work. A man that acts without thinking in the world is like a cloud that yields no rain in the desert. He demands attention, yet only delivers disappointment. The action is the embodiment of intent. The thought is the spirit of the action. 'It is the thought that counts', because without it, it counts for nothing. It is ironic that by merely 'going through the motions' we remain at a standstill. It does not matter how much time you give something you claim to care about. If you do not also give your attention you show where it really lies on your list of priorities. How much time, attention, and effort you invest in something will determine exponentially how much you gain; whether in physical results, understanding, or building of character. This is also how you fundamentally recognize your priorities, and how you evaluate where they should be. Do you give your labors your best efforts? Do you give your family your whole attention? Do you give The Lord your heart? What is it that holds you back?

Effort
How hard do you work for something before you quit? Effort requires faith. Faith is a principle of power, and it leads to action such as repentance, obedience, and dedicated service. Faith is acting on trust. When we have faith in a company, we invest in it. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we keep his commandments. Faith without works is dead, but trust in dead works availeth nothing(see also D&C 22:2). We need more.

Focus
What do you look for in life? What do you hope for? Throughout the day, what holds your attention? What about in your free time? To remain focused on anything "virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy", we must have hope. Hope is an abiding trust that The Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is looking forward and expecting something to occur. If you have sufficient hope in the future, you can have joy in the present. With hope in Christ, you will not have your mind harrowed up by past sins, but you will have an eye single to the glory of God, and your eternal destiny.

Desire
What do you desire? When you think of love, who or what do you think of? Charity is the pure love of Christ. It includes God's eternal love for all His children. We are to seek to develop that kind of love. When we love someone, we invest ourselves in them. We know that The Lord grants unto men the desires of their hearts, and we will be judged by them. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34)

Our will ties directly to our purpose in life; our will is to be tried, improved, and applied in each of life's experiences. We have the power to do that; to change our desires, to shift our focus, to give a little more than before. It comes by submitting our will to The Lord. By accepting his atonement for us, and relying on his merits, mercy and grace we can be made pure. They say where there is a will there is a way. He is The Way. We must choose His will. As it is in any apprenticeship, you will learn and improve the most as you submit your will to the Master. The strongest we will ever be is when we are the most submissive. This is because when we submit our will to The Lord, it becomes His. If in any circumstance we feel we cannot accomplish our righteous desires with our best efforts, we can rely on His grace. When we have given our whole self, we know we can rely wholly upon him. We must be willing to open our hearts to receiving heavenly help, always giving thanks, and we must all the while be willing to move forward with what The Lord has already given us. Thus, with this submissive willpower we will be able to endure to the end of every trial, every temptation, every time.