Prevail to the End

While going through one of my mission binders, I found a paper tucked in the back that I had forgotten about. It is called "19 Things to Help You Find Success". For the life of me, I can't remember where it came from, but as I read them again, I was struck by some of these principles! So many of us want to be successful. We want to achieve, to excel, and to progress. That is what we were sent here on earth to do. The way that we do that is by overcoming obstacles we encounter in our lifetime. I want to talk about two or three of the success points, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to overcome our challenges so that we can ultimately prevail.

1. You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you. 

Marvin J. Ashton once said,

"Greatness is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved."

https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/to-this-end-was-i-born?lang=eng#gallery=

Not every relationship we have is going to be all sunshine and roses. When we choose to rise above retaliation and spite for wrong actions done to us, we choose to place ourselves on a higher ground. I can think of no better example of this than that of the Savior. He faced the worst kinds of mistreatment. He was spit upon, called names, and mocked on all levels. He heard thousands crying for his crucifiction. However, Christ's love for them overpowered their actions towards him. While on the cross, he plead with the Father on their behalf.

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

-Luke 23: 34

Now, I am not perfect at this. However, the peace I have found from forgiving is incredible. Forgiving brings an increase of self-confidence that would otherwise hide under anger and frustration. If forgiving is hard, pray and ask God to help you love those that have harmed you. As you do your best to journey towards forgiving others, you will find that God will be your biggest support. The best way to counteract hate is to be filled with the pure love of God!

2. You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is. 

I do want to make a slight correction to this one. If I had been smart enough to write these, I would put that you have to invest in yourself because someone else is. You are a child of God! Could you imagine that, as his child, God would not do His very best to help you make the highest achievements possible? I love the way that Paul explains this concept.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ...For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

-Romans 8: 16- 18

I love this! All of our hardships on earth don't even compare to the glory inside each of us! Doesn't that just make you feel a little more special? Growing pains are good, because it means that our loving Heavenly Father is taking the time to help us grow. We shouldn't back down from the divine potential bursting out of each of us! Marianne Williamson put it so beautifully when she said,

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

- Marianne Williamson

Don't live your life in fear believing that no one cares about you. Live in faith, believing that God is rooting for you and will help you shine!

3. You have to keep moving forward towards where you want to be no matter what's in front of you.

During this life, we must walk by faith. There are some things that we cannot see nor hear, but can still know with absolute certainty that they are there. Have faith that Heavenly Father has a plan for  you. Read your scriptures, pray, and be in places where you can feel his influence so that you can know what that plan is. Even if things don't seem to be working out, following the direction of the Holy Ghost will lead you to events and circumstances that will make you a better person. Matthew Holland, son of Jeffery R. Holland, explained that,

"Sometimes in response to prayers, the Lord may guide us down what seems to be the wrong road—or at least a road we don’t understand—so, in due time, He can get us firmly and without question on the right road. Of course, He would never lead us down a path of sin, but He might lead us down a road of valuable experience. Sometimes in our journey through life we can get from point A to point C only by taking a short side road to point B."

-Matthew Holland, Wrong Roads and Revelation, July 2005 New Era

I know that my experiences in life haven't all been pleasant, but I also know that each one of them has gotten me exactly where I needed to be and have kept me on the path of where I needed to go. Continue in confidence to follow the teachings of the Savior, even when it may seem that everything is fighting for you to stop. Continue in confidence to be an example of Christ, even if you have to stand as that example alone. I promise that as you keep moving forward in faith, you will find within yourself greater strength to make the best of all that this life will hand you.