I like the image of our mortal journey being compared to the adventure of Bilbo Baggins.
When you fill your hearts with the pure love of Christ you leave no room for rancor or judgement.
The difference between casual social contact and committed discipleship is invitation.
A beloved children’s fantasy novel written many years ago begins with the sentence “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”
The story of Bilbo Baggins is about a most normal and unremarkable hobbit who is presented with a most remarkable opportunity—the wonderful chance at adventure and the promise of a great reward.
Sometimes I feel like I live in a hole the ground – unnoticed and ignored by others. Unlike Bilbo I feel like I have been called in an adventure and willingly agreed to the journey only to find my journey thwarted at every turn despite my best efforts.
Long, long ago, even before we were born, in an age dimmed by time and clouded from memory, we too were invited to embark on an adventure. It was proposed by God, our Heavenly Father. Accepting this adventure would mean leaving the comfort and security of His immediate presence. It would mean coming to earth for a journey filled with unknown danger and trial.
We knew it would not be easy.
But we also knew that we would gain precious treasures, including a physical body and experiencing the intense joys and sorrows of mortality. We would learn to strive, to seek, and to struggle. We would discover truths about God and ourselves.
Why do I feel like I am getting the intense sorrows while being denied any intense joys in life?
First, you need to choose to incline your heart to God. Strive each day to find Him. Learn to love Him. And then let that love inspire you to learn, understand, and follow His teachings and learn to keep God’s commandments. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is given to us in a plain and simple way that a child can understand. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ has the answers to the most complex questions in life and has such profound depth and complexity that even with a lifetime of study and pondering, we can scarcely comprehend even the smallest part.
If you hesitate in this adventure because you doubt your ability, remember that discipleship is not about doing things perfectly; it’s about doing things intentionally. It is your choices that show what you truly are, far more than your abilities.
Even when you fail, you can choose not to give up, but rather discover your courage, press forward, and rise up. That is the great test of the journey.
Up to this point I have never given up but right now if like to give up because all my effort feels wasted.
There is something interesting, almost paradoxical, about this path you’ve chosen: the only way for you to progress in your gospel adventure is to help others progress as well.
To help others is the path of discipleship. Faith, hope, love, compassion, and service refine us as disciples.
Through your efforts to help the poor and the needy, to reach out to those in distress, your own character is purified and forged, your spirit is enlarged, and you walk a little taller.
But this love cannot come with expectations of repayment. It cannot be the kind of service that expects recognition, adulation, or favor.
I don’t expect recognition, adulation, or favor. I do expect to see some success and that is why my effort feels wasted. (Loving others is the second thing.)
When you fill your hearts with the pure love of Christ, you leave no room for rancor, judgment, and shaming. You keep God’s commandments because you love Him. In the process, you slowly become more Christlike in your thoughts and deeds. And what adventure could be greater than this?
I feel like this is the point that I have been led to but now feel empty of any ability to care for it serve anyone else in a way that makes a difference. 100% of my effort is spent on a family that won’t accept my help and at a job where I am seen as adding no value.
The third thing we strive to master in this journey is to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and not be ashamed of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.
We do not hide our faith.
We do not bury it.
To the contrary, we talk about our journey with others in normal and natural ways. That’s what friends do—they talk about things that are important to them. Things that are close to their heart and make a difference to them.
I am not ashamed but I have nothing to say to others because I am so busy trying to stay afloat.
The difference between casual social contacts and compassionate, courageous discipleship is—invitation!
We love and respect all of God’s children, regardless of their position in life, regardless of their race or religion, regardless of their life’s decisions.
For our part, we will say, “Come and see! Find out for yourself how walking the path of discipleship will be rewarding and ennobling.”
We invite people to “come and help, as we try to make the world a better place.”
And we say, “Come and stay! We are your brothers and sisters. We are not perfect. We trust God and seek to keep His commandments.
“Join with us, and you will make us better. And, in the process, you will become better as well. Let’s take this adventure together.”
When our friend Bilbo Baggins felt the call to adventure stir within him, he decided to get a good night’s rest, enjoy a hearty breakfast, and start out first thing in the morning.
When Bilbo awoke, he noticed his house was a mess, and he was almost distracted from his noble plan.
But then his friend Gandalf came and asked, “Whenever are you going to come?” To catch up with his friends, Bilbo had to decide for himself what to do.
To those of us already walking that path, take courage, exercise compassion, have confidence, and continue!
I need to take courage but I feel like I lack the energy to continue.
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