A Constant State Of Repentance

I once had a fair-weather friend who would always be trying to trick me and trap me.  He would be kind to my face and ask for my help often.  He would of course return the favour by asking me to accept his gifts, which were things that he would throw out or take to the dump.  It was a very one-sided relationship. 

This friend would often ask Gospel oriented questions and feign a genuine interest and agreement, then somehow his friends would find out and try to prove me wrong by twisting the scriptures out of context.  At first I thought, perhaps I shouldn’t tell him so much since he was just using that information against me, but then I thought, if he would ask, then I would tell, and let him be accountable for his deception. 

Of course, if the Lord says don’t reveal something, then it is best not to reveal it. 

Yet, this fair-weather friend would always try to trap me, sometimes by playing devil’s advocate, sometimes by telling me only part of a dream and asking for the interpretation while hiding the other part, etc.  And when the Spirit would reveal his deception, he would get angry or frustrated.  One time I saw him get so frustrated that he went and being very physically assertive, he raised his voice and aggressively and intensely tried to convince my children false doctrine just so that he could try to hurt me by leading them astray!!  It was crazy. 

On another occasion, my fair-weather friend accused me of hiding information about God and about how to talk to Him in person, but I never did hide anything that would be influential in getting him an audience with the Big Guy.  Instead I told him so plainly that he didn’t believe it could be that simple.  Just repent and set your heart completely upon God. 

Just repent completely.  Be in a constant state of repentance, meek, lowly, broken heart, contrite, etc.  Repent not only of actions, but also of inaction, of thoughts, words, and feelings.  To bring ourselves into alignment with the character of God.  To deny the world, and rid ourselves of every worldly desire and ambition, no matter how small or insignificant.  To set our hearts so completely on God, that it is all we want, it is all we think about, it is all we communicate, and it is all we accomplish.  It is really this easy!  But my friend wouldn’t believe me.  He was always trying to prove me wrong. 

He would ask silly things like if there was a special position in which to pray.  Or if you had to do strange hand signals, or some other weird thing to get God to answer you.  He wouldn’t believe that it was his heart.  That was too simple an answer.  Too insignificant. 

He reminded me of the Children of Israel, when they spoke against the Lord and went among the fiery flying serpents.  “after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.” 

I testify that this is the programme.  If we turn our hearts to God, and seek Him only, then He will seek us.  Stay strong, no matter what anyone says, and keep the faith of the Only Begotten, the Son of God.  This is His doctrine, and it is the Father’s doctrine, that we have faith in the Son, and repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. 

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