Mosiah 7

(February 26, 2015)

                Discouragement in myself is a constant challenge.  C. S. Lewis (if I may paraphrase) said that true humility comes when we have put forth our best efforts to be righteous and find how very far we fall short of that aspiration.  While I cannot speak to the humility aspect of this, I can say that I am only too aware of how far I fall short despite my best efforts.

                And yet, there was a line that struck me in my reading in this chapter that I hadn’t noticed before that I recall.  Limhi, speaking to his people, stated that “notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.”  I don’t know how I read that so many times and didn’t analogize it to personal repentance before now.

                Notwithstanding my many attempts to attack bad habits, character weaknesses, and so forth (not all of which have been in vain – I am grateful for the progress which the Lord has given to me – but some of which have been in vain), nevertheless I trust that there remains an effectual struggle to be made against those weaknesses, failures, and habits.  The Lord’s arm is not shortened by my failures of the past, and He still has the capacity to help me through to the extent I am willing to turn my will and live over to Him.