I'm currently reading a novel called "War in Heaven" by Charles Williams. Last night as I was reading before bed, something in the book (I can't remember what it was now...) got me thinking about the pre-existence and the Plan of Salvation. I was thinking about how God has a plan for each of us, but we all exercize agency. This agency, if exercized in congruence with God's will for us, will keep us living our lives according to His plan for us. However, when we exercize our agency to make decisions according to our own will, it can lead us temporarily off the path of fulfilling the plan God has for us. I've often questioned whether or not each of our plans was created by God, knowing how we would exercize our agency and planning accordingly, but when I really think about it, I don't think that can be true. I don't think God's plan for any of us is anything short of Exaltation, but our agency can definitely keep us from fulfilling that plan. So... hoping that all of this makes sense right now, the thought that I was having concerned Satan. When God formulated the Plan of Salvation, was it in the plan that Satan would rebel and then exist to tempt us all as some kind of ultimate test? Or was Satan's rebellion simply an act of agency that has now affected all of mankind and has made our mortal tests harder to endure? I mean, I believe that Satan's act was definitely one of agency, but the question is, did God account for that in His plan because He already knew it would happen? Because how would the plan have been if Satan had not rebelled? Would there be anything to tempt us? Would there be opposition? The scriptures tell us that there has to be opposition in all things, so how would that opposition have come about had Satan chosen NOT to rebel?
That's probably totally confusing, but that's how my mind works! Haha.
The other thing I was thinking about concerns humility. The other day a friend of mine told me that he thought I underestimated myself too much. I thought about that a lot and I think he's absolutely right. In the last couple of years, my confidence has definitely decreased and I think part of that may be because I have been trying harder and harder to incorporate humility and kindness into my life. I pray for it, and try to exercize it, but I think I am going about that in the wrong way. Because I do not believe that being humble means that you have to deny your strengths or talents. So how does one stay humble while at the same time being confident? Should we not be proud of the gifts we've been given? But we have to be careful not to be prideful. I'm struggling to find the balance between these two. I think it's extremely important to have confidence in yourself, and I also think it's important to be humble. Christ did it (and beautifully I might add), that we know. But how? That is the question...
6 comments:
Maybe one trick is just using your talents often in the Lord's service, praying to know how to do that and then doing it. I think just thanking the Lord daily for our talents - developing a spirit of gratitude - can definitely do a lot to help us be humble about it.
That is indeed a deep, ponderous question, or questions about the plan, etc. I haven't really thought much about the Satan aspect, but I have thought at length about the Crucifixion and Judas. Christ needed to sacrifice himself. He needed to to save us all. Did he need to be betrayed in order to accomplish that? Probably not. Was it written since time began that Judas would be the one? Was he doomed to sell his soul for that? Could he have gone another route, like Peter and just had it be the Roman guards come and find Jesus on their own? I'm sure had he not, it would have happened someway, but somebody would always have had to make the choice to put Christ to death, too. Very deep questions. Like asking who the Holy Ghost is.
All I know is that we have our agency, had it in the pre-existence, as did Lucifer. God might have known it would take place, prayed in his heart that his son wouldn't rebel, but knew he would, cuz he knows us all perfectly, and knew it had to take place to bring opposition.
Anyways, kinda rambling...
As far as the confidence/humility issue, I always have problems with that when people praise my art work. It's hard to find the balance. But, as corny as it is "What would Jesus do?" always seems to work. :)
Good luck on your journey friend.
P.s. - I like your songs, I haven't heard a lot of them before.
The Satan issue is deep and quite tricky. Good luck with that. As for the humility/confidence, Mr Lewis said it well in the Screwtape Letters. Just a reminder, the "Enemy" is God, as these are letters between devils.
"The Enemy wants to bring man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another. The Enemy wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favour that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbour's talents- or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall. He wants each man, in the long run, to be able to recognise all creatures (even himself) as glorious and excellent things."
In essence, it's best to realize our talents and our strengths and rejoice in them, but only to the same degree as we would others with the same ability. Basically, it's not to confuse constant self-deprecation or self-pity with humility.
Yep, that's all I got.
Oh, it;s so good to hear from you!!! You are cute as ever!!! Isn't Clark a doll?! We just love him to pieces! Hey, does "white whitney" have a blog? Glad I know where to check in on you at
I do not believe that Satan was necessary for the Plan of Salvation. The scriptures discuss in great deal the Natural Man. Little children are not allowed to be tempted by Satan, yet they are still selfish and make wrong choices. It is a matter of learning to make right choices. Satan rebelling probably altered the original plan, I imagine that Father in Heaven had to compensate for more temptation than just our natural inclinations.
Humility vs. insecurity. I think that humility involves accepting who you are, your gifts and talents, and thanking Heavenly Father for his obvious care for you. Jesus always pointed toward the Father as the source, and while we need to be aware that our talents are great, we should always be thankful he gave them to us and helped us develop them. I think that is true humilty.
Plan of Salvation. I don't believe that Satan's role is a "calling", meaning that he and those that followed him had to fall for us to have opposition. I believe it contrary to the laws of heaven (and parenthood) to expect and insist that 1/3 of your children fail so the other 2/3 can succeed. If that were the case, then the reward for the sacrifice the 1/3 made would be - what? Equal to the Savior's? I think not.
It is a mistake to think there are only two forces at work in our life: The Savior and the Adversary. There is a third, as Chani pointed out, and that is who we are independent of the other influences.
I love it in Isaiah 14 when it says, "They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms..." In my head I can hear the phrases said with all the disdainful wonder possible, and ending with, "why- he is nothing! What were we thinking?"
As for humility, you are expected to recognise and develops gifts and talents. Doing so doesn't make you prideful. Recognising the source of all that is good and wonderful is your Father in Heaven blessing you as his daughter makes all the difference. Trying to ignore these gifts and talents creates a False Humility, which is Reverse Pride (pride in the humility or lack of anything gloriously part of Heavenly Father if that makes sense.)
There is something about complimenting that throws people. Somebody can say, "That dress is beautiful!" We're okay with that. But if somebody says, "You have a beautiful voice!" Well, that is just mortifying and especially because the compliment secretly gives us joy (as it should!) So we stumble around and quickly try to nulify the compliment. Instead, train yourself to be gracious to the giver and simply, humbly say, "Thank you."
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