God of Miracles, Making Instant Friends, Performance Consecration
The Disciple-Leader Newsletter #27 // July 29, 2023.
Discipleship. Leadership. Mental Performance.
DISCIPLESHIP
1) "Jesus Christ did ... many mighty miracles ... And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles? Behold, I say unto you He changeth not ... God ... is a God of miracles.” - Mormon 9:18-19
2) "For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them." - Ether 12:12
It is helpful to substitute your own name in that verse. "For if there be no faith among Aaron (insert your name), God can do no miracle for him."
The scriptures are clear about the life-altering and sometimes even physics-defying nature of faith-wrought miracles.
Ether 12
It was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
It was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites.
It was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
Hebrews 11
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.
Think about your life. Consider these questions.
What would you do if you had the faith of Alma and Amulek?
What could you do if you had the faith of Ammon and Daniel?
If you don't identify with them, what is holding you back from having their faith?
Jesus Christ is full of miracles. For you. But He works after your faith.
"And when the sabbath day was come, (Jesus) began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying ... Is not this the carpenter? ... And (Jesus) could there do no mighty work ... and He marveled because of their unbelief" (Mark 6).
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
"Seek and expect miracles. Moroni assured us that 'God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.' Every book of scripture demonstrates how willing the Lord is to intervene in the lives of those who believe in Him. He parted the Red Sea for Moses, helped Nephi retrieve the brass plates, and restored His Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Each of these miracles took time and may not have been exactly what those individuals originally requested from the Lord.
In the same way, the Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, 'doubting nothing.' Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith. I promise that you can experience for yourself that Jesus Christ 'giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.' Few things will accelerate your spiritual momentum more than realizing the Lord is helping you to move a mountain in your life."
LEADERSHIP
"She made friends instantly. When you shook her hand or said hello you had her full attention. She took seriously the Savior’s example of recognizing the image of God in everyone she met.”
Jeffrey R. Holland, speaking at his wife Patricia's funeral
One of C.S. Lewis's classic teachings was on how to see others. He wrote, "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship …. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit."
How do you make friends instantly? How do you make a leadership impact instantly?
By seeing and treating others in the light of those overwhelming possibilities. By recognizing the image of God in everyone you meet. Then, as Elder Holland described his wife as being, you have immediate impact on others.
MENTAL PERFORMANCE
1) “Ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that He will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.”
2 Nephi 32:9
Life is a performance. The definition of performance is “the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function.”
Thus, literally, everything you do is a performance.
With that in mind, consider this teaching from the Book of Mormon: “Ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that He will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.”
In other words, God desires to consecrate all your actions. He wants everything you do to benefit your soul. Consider these daily, routine activities that you engage in:
Reading a book
Engaging in conversation
Spending time with a loved one
Using social media
Work
School
The Lord doesn’t just desire for you to go task-by-task, day-by-day, in a rote manner. He desires for you to consecrate yourself to Him in all things, and to consecrate your performance unto the welfare of your soul.
If you aren’t involving the Lord in your day-to-day activities, you are severely missing out. Jesus Christ can transform your mundane tasks into holy habits. He is involved in the details of your life. He just hopes you’ll involve Him.
Disciple-Leadership: Jesus-led. Lead like Jesus.