Each one of us has been given the power to change his or her life. As part of the Lord’s great plan of happiness, we have individual agency to make decisions. We can decide to do better and to be better. In some ways all of us need to change; that is, some of us need to be more kind at home, less selfish, better listeners, and more considerate in the way we treat others. Some of us have habits that need to be changed, habits that harm us and others around us. Sometimes we may need a jolt to propel us into changing.
Our journey through life involves a series of changes - some major and many minor. Even though change has always been a part of life it seems that change is happening faster than ever before. This is especially evident in missionary work. As missionaries, change is hard and could be challenging at times. How we respond to change is a funny thing. There are times when we go out of our way to initiate change in our missionary work. For example, we may have to learn how to adjust to meet the need of our new companion. Although we may be apprehensive about such changes, we are stimulated by the possibilities and opportunities that will emerge. When we initiate the change, we are likely to define the experience as exciting. On the other hand, these same changes might be imposed on us by circumstance, or the design of another person or our work. When change is imposed on us, our experience of the change is likely to be quite different. In these situations, we may feel threatened and fearful about the change, and focus heavily on negative outcomes. We may want little to do with the change and find ourselves resisting it fiercely.
There are three types of changes that I have seen in my missionary work: moving from resistance to acceptance, embarking in a new direction, and the loss of a companion.
Someone once said, “Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.” No matter what change we are faced with in life or missionary work, it will be much easier to cope with and adapt to if we hold a positive attitude about change in general. This doesn't mean that we necessarily have to agree with the circumstances or details of the change. In fact we may disagree with it, but can still adapt to it in a constructive manner. The Lord is the cure to all things. As we put our trust in Him, relying on Him wholly we can overcome the fear of change. Joseph Walker wrote an article in the church magazine and said, “The possibility of change is always there, with its hidden promise of peace, happiness, and a better way of life.”
I know that the Lord gives us change for us to grow. I see change as challenges too, because change is hard and could be rough at times. But as I put my trust in the Lord, He will lift me up from my burdens. I believe in this promise declared by President Thomas S. Monson, “Our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.” Just as when we choose Christ we choose change. The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect and as we live it we can make the changes in our lives to become better!
Our journey through life involves a series of changes - some major and many minor. Even though change has always been a part of life it seems that change is happening faster than ever before. This is especially evident in missionary work. As missionaries, change is hard and could be challenging at times. How we respond to change is a funny thing. There are times when we go out of our way to initiate change in our missionary work. For example, we may have to learn how to adjust to meet the need of our new companion. Although we may be apprehensive about such changes, we are stimulated by the possibilities and opportunities that will emerge. When we initiate the change, we are likely to define the experience as exciting. On the other hand, these same changes might be imposed on us by circumstance, or the design of another person or our work. When change is imposed on us, our experience of the change is likely to be quite different. In these situations, we may feel threatened and fearful about the change, and focus heavily on negative outcomes. We may want little to do with the change and find ourselves resisting it fiercely.
There are three types of changes that I have seen in my missionary work: moving from resistance to acceptance, embarking in a new direction, and the loss of a companion.
Someone once said, “Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.” No matter what change we are faced with in life or missionary work, it will be much easier to cope with and adapt to if we hold a positive attitude about change in general. This doesn't mean that we necessarily have to agree with the circumstances or details of the change. In fact we may disagree with it, but can still adapt to it in a constructive manner. The Lord is the cure to all things. As we put our trust in Him, relying on Him wholly we can overcome the fear of change. Joseph Walker wrote an article in the church magazine and said, “The possibility of change is always there, with its hidden promise of peace, happiness, and a better way of life.”
I know that the Lord gives us change for us to grow. I see change as challenges too, because change is hard and could be rough at times. But as I put my trust in the Lord, He will lift me up from my burdens. I believe in this promise declared by President Thomas S. Monson, “Our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.” Just as when we choose Christ we choose change. The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect and as we live it we can make the changes in our lives to become better!
AMEN!!! I was going to blog about this today, but you did a good job of it! Change is deff hard, especially for me. But I know that change is a good thing. It helps us to learn more about ourselves and what we can do. We can become more confident in ourselves and those around us. Thank you!
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