Work and Faith Connections

In my reading and studying lately, parts of unrelated articles have gathered in one place in my mind. The following quotes have found a nesting spot in my heart and have settled into a bit of an understanding.

"A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence." (Julie Beck April 2010 conference)

"Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, . . . let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents." (President Uchtdorf October 2009 conference)

"Faith in the Savior requires more than mere belief. The Apostle James taught that even the devils believe and tremble. (James 2:19) But true faith requires work. The difference between the devils and the faithful members of this Church is not belief but work." (Wilford W. Andersen April 2010 conference)

In an Ensign article Elder Carmack explains the parable given by Jesus after His disciples ask Him to increase their faith. ". . . [In] Jesus’ parable of the servant who comes into the house from plowing or feeding cattle, [he] still must prepare a meal for his master before eating and drinking. (Luke 17:7-10) In the parable, the master would neither thank his servant nor release him from the balance of his duties. Though the insistence on preparing the meal after a long day of work sounds harsh and ungrateful on its face, in reality that servant is greatly indebted to his master and will always be. Similarly, if we want increased faith. . . . we must give ourselves over completely to our Lord, utterly trusting Him and striving to act as He would act in all circumstances. No matter how difficult and impossible the circumstances we face, we must retain the attitude that we are still in the Lord’s debt. Just keeping the commandments, while laudable, may be enough to maintain our faith but not enough to increase it. We must continue sacrificing and serving with no thought of reward." (Elder John K Carmack Ensign May 2002--this is a fantastic read. Thanks for the link, Laura!)

I know working more or harder is not always the answer to refreshing myself when feeling undermined, emotionally debilitated, and drained, but as these pieces connected in my mind I realized that work should be the answer more often in my life. As I've thought about it, I've realized that it usually is my unfinished work that I've procrastinated that hangs over my head causing me to feel taxed and overwhelmed and therefore leading me to act selfishly or inappropriately. These quotes help me understand that it's the world, not whisperings from the spirit, telling me I need more time away from my responsibilities or less to do. It's a hard concept, but as I've thought about the times I've applied that principle (albeit not conscious to the quotes cited) I've felt better about my situation and a good feeling about myself has resulted. And how is that so? Because working through challenges and working without complaint, especially when I would like a break, increases my faith, expands my abilities and improves my situation. This truth applies to both spiritual and physical needs. Simple on paper, a little tougher in application.

Addendum: I've been working on this post for a few days and the power of these thoughts cemented the other night during a conversation with Cache. He was telling us about how many of his peers slack on their grades. . . how they verbally say out loud: "I can get by with doing no school work the whole term then work really hard the last week and still pull decent grades." or "I can skip most assignments because I can make it up with extra credit." I saw a trend. . .it's not only women receiving alluring messages to find the life of greatest ease and little responsibility. . .all of us are being targeted. I pictured these students at some point approaching a teacher requesting an 'increased grade' and the teacher's answer mirroring the Savior's answer to his disciples (my paraphrase): "You want something, you have to work for it. And continue working patiently even after you think you've worked enough." Paraphrasing and making word substitutes with Elder Carmack's statement also is applicable to a student: "Just pulling the grades, while laudable, may be enough to maintain your educational goals. . it will not be enough to increase your knowledge. You must continue working and learning with no thought of your grade."

All of this is something I must improve on and I can also see the importance of teaching my children this vital concept. . . . Now that these connections have been made, my actions need to feed them so they can bear fruit in my life.