You Gotta Get Out of the Boat

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:17-31

The sisters in Relief Society had a great discussion about how we cannot just sit in the boat and believe in Jesus Christ. We cannot just sit around and have faith. Faith is an action word. We have to act. We have to DO. We must have to always be preparing for the demands of the tests we will have in life. We may have our heads go under water, but our Savior will not let us drown. We must keep our eyes (our lives) centered on Christ and not on the waves (trials).

from freechristimages.org

Without eternal perspective, we can lose our souls on the plains of despair. Exercising daily spiritual habits such as reading and pondering scriptures, praying, serving others, keeping the commandments, and worshiping on the Sabbath will help us prepare for the unexpected crises that come along in life. When we are strong in the basic things of the gospel, we can handle anything with the Lord's help. We cannot let up on our constant preparation to keep our spiritual strength. Satan has not and never will let up on his exercise program. He continues to work hard to lead anyone he can from the path to our heavenly home. Exercising obedience in all things will not leave weak spots in our wall of defense against Satan.

Think "up" with positive thoughts, since it will affect our body and mind. Our cells stay healthier with uplifting thoughts. Negativity will create depression and drag us down.

When we have a choice of something to eat, would we choose Swiss chard . . .

or would we choose chocolate?  (duh)

Most of us love the smooth, easy, and creamy times in our lives that are sweet like chocolate. Yet, sometimes the worst tasting vegetables are the best for us. When we are handed a basket of Swiss chard experiences in life, we need to jump out of the boat in faith and take our Savior's hand. relying on him to help us through these bitter, growing experience.

Hard times are given to us so we can stay closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We cannot rely solely on ourselves. When we feel our own strength is enough, we are being prideful and regarding ourselves more capable than God. Pride is exactly the topic we have been asked to speak on next Sunday.