God is never meant to our enemy. Even a quick study of restored Gospel truth reveals our Heavenly Father is truly committed to the work that is glorifying his children. So invested in our success is God that he “gave his only Begotten Son” so we may have everlasting life.
However, Satan would have us believe God is anything but on our side. Despite our best efforts, we can accidentally slip into this twisted thinking. Here are three ways we accidentally make God our enemy in our own minds and what we can do about it.
One. We Blame God For Everything.
It is a tale as old as time; when bad things happen, our first instinct is often to raise our fist to the sky and cry out in anger to God. While there are certainly times God’s hand is clearly leading us through the refiner’s fire, not every trial is a direct result of God’s will.
Consider this quote by President Boyd K. Packer: “Do not suppose that God willfully causes that, which for His own purposes, he permits.”
The doctrine of the Plan of Salvation reveals we chose to live in a fallen world as part of our mortal probation. This means we are subject to all manner of problems, including illnesses, weaknesses, temptations, evils, and the agency of those around us. God permits these things to exist and to act because he sees our agency and this time of testing as sacred and essential to our eternal growth.
If you feel like you’re placing the blame on God for all the misfortunes of life, here are some questions that may be useful:
- What do I still have faith in?
- When have I faced something hard and why did I need to go through it?
- What can I learn from this situation?
- What am I grateful for?
No matter what is going on in your life, we can do our best to hold onto the hand of the Savior as we walk through the fire.
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