Actions

It says in the verse for this topic that the "LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed." Sometimes we can think that God has no right to tell us how to live our lives, what we are capable of or even how we should be feeling. After all, sometimes we don't even know ourselves what is going on inside of us so how could someone else. If this was any other person, we could feel somewhat justified in our feelings and assumptions, but doing so misses the point of having a Savior.

One of the main points of Christianity is that Christ, through the Atonement, has a knowledge of us that exceeds even the knowledge we have of ourselves. This knowledge He uses to comfort us when we need comfort and to help us heal when our hearts are broken, but it also means that He knows what is best. This includes every aspect of our lives from what standards we need to live by to His commandment to forgive everyone. As the one offering His love and mercy, we also choose Him as our Lord. Going back to the middle age's definition of Lord, He's the one who chooses how our lives will be. Everyone has to choose a Lord to control their life, even if in their own minds that Lord is themselves. I chose to become a Christian because I came to a knowledge that Christ is my Savior, that He knows everything, and I wanted someone like that to be the one telling me how to live my life.

That may sound like I've given up my ability to think for myself, but unlike other Lords who would force their will on those they are over, it is always a choice every single time to follow Him.

Act

How important is an act? A clear-cut response is that our actions reflect what is in our hearts and since we can't see into the heart it is the only way to tell the good from the bad. But we all know of someone, maybe even ourselves, when an act was committed that wasn't meant or was forced upon us by someone else. I believe that insight into this concept of acting is more complicated than my first explanation but is simple enough to show some beauty. Once again, this is just me sharing my ideas on details that are always in development.

Where this all begins is in the definition of the soul - that it is composed of the spirit and the body. Before and after this life we only had a spirit, but while we are here we have a body housing our spirit. I believe that it isn't just our spirits living inside of our bodies like we were incased in a shell, but that our bodies and spirits really do become connected to the point of being one entity. This connection makes it possible for us to commit actions. Our freewill is a part of our spirit, but there is something important about being able to express ourselves physically. If it wasn't so, then why are there commandments giving us guidelines for living in the physical world? Why would there be mandatory ceremonies like baptism? And most importantly, if bodies weren't important than why did Christ not reach his point of greatest glory until after he was resurrected?

Acquaint

There is a book called The Ten Virgins taken from the parable found in Matthew 25. For those not familiar with the parable, the condensed version is that there are ten virgins waiting for the groom to show up, when he does half of them are prepared with extra oil for their lamps while half of them aren't prepared and don't get to go to the wedding. This story is meant to be a parable for the last days with the followers of Christ represented by the virgins and Christ represented by the groom with the wedding representing the second coming.

What this has to do with being "acquainted" is that in this book, the spin the author takes is that the village's lamp maker is also the groom, asks each of the women he gives a lamp to that they would come up the hill to his shop and visit with him. While there, he would also give them more oil for their lamps. The idea is that those who used their lamps more often would have need of more oil, and would then become more familiar with the lamp maker. When his wedding came, those who knew him were the ones who were prepared.

Acknowledge

Topics without Scriptures: Achaia.

This time of year is a time for celebration in the academic world, as students from all levels celebrate graduating. I was among those students as I walked across the stage to receive my university diploma. However, this day was not like I imagined it when I left high school. I imagined that I would walk across that stage with a tidal wave of academic achievement to swell and sweep me forward to accept my achievement. A perfect GPA, a least two majors and maybe a few minors, incredible undergrad research and a study abroad thrown in for the fun of it. Instead, I walked across that stage just glad that I wasn't being carried on a figurative academic stretcher.

The week that has followed has been full of moving and the subsequent feeling of moving on, as I tried not let the disappointment of unrealized expectation get the better of me. On the whole, I did a very good job looking on the bright side and seeing my life as upbeat and shinny. Until yesterday.

It was probably a combination of being hungry, being tired, and being too weak emotionally to hold back. I spewed to my mother all my woes, and was pretty close to just taking my diploma and throwing it away. With all the patience of a saint, mother firmly reminded me that I HAD accomplished a degree, they hadn't just given it to me, and that it was a miracle I did not have to drop out of school from my health problems in order to get it.

A miracle.

In Proverbs 3:6 it reads:

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

It is difficult to bring to remembrance all the impossibilities that God has given me when I'm the star of a self-pity party. I was not remembering him and disregarding the goals he and I were able to finish together. He with his power of all things, and I with my surrendered will. The fact that I could even walk across the stage without a cane is a manifestation of God's mercy. It is always amazing how quickly I can forget the good that happens in my life and how difficult it is to forget the negative.

The next question for my own personal study is: how can I follow this scripture and acknowledge God's hand in my life as a whole? I don't really have anything concrete right now other than try to be a good person, but I'll work on it.

Accuser

This thought of accusing others has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Not just because the past couple of posts have been on different versions of the word "accuse", but also because my fiance and I are reading this book together called The Peacegiver. One thought that this book emphasis over and over is that one of the first steps to healing and developing a loving relationship with those around us is to stop judging and condemning others.

In John chapter 8, there is a story of Jesus that I have always loved. A woman who is caught committing adultery is brought to Jesus and the Pharisees ask Jesus what they should do about her. The law said that those committing adultery should be put to death, but Jesus turns the question on the Pharisees and says that whoever has never sinned can kill her. They all sort of guiltily wander away at that point, and Christ asks so lovingly:

"Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?"

When the woman responds that no one is left, Christ says that he will not condemn her and to go and sin no more.

Sometimes I wondering who in this story I am. I guess it switches, that some days I'm the woman hoping beyond hope for the mercy of Christ to make the accusers in my life go away, while other days I'm bringing others before him demanding justice.

Accuse

Christ is talking a lot about not accusing people falsely - in John 5:45 he says that he won't accuse them, but that Moses will. At first I thought this was saying that Moses in the final judgement day would be standing there pointing a finger at them, but Christ clarifies himself by saying that the words of Moses will condemn them. In other words, they should have and did know better - and that is what will condemn them. This fits with the doctrine of accountability also, where you will be judged according to what you are accountable for, or for what you knew about.

I also noticed something in this reading about how we should go about accusing people. The Pharisees were sitting and waiting to find something to accuse Christ of. The advice given to us is not to accuse falsely - which implies that there will be times when we should accuse others. But unlike the Pharisees, we should not be eager to do so and be looking for opportunities. It should not become a favorite pastime, but something necessary for the stability of society.

Accursation

In these scriptures, there is a focus on stories and doctrine focused on people bringing accusations against each other. Half of these scriptures are about people making accusations about Christ. I would like to talk about this first.

Toward the end of his mortal life, Pilot asked the Pharisees, "What accusations bring ye against this man?" They replied, "If he were not a malefactor, would we deliver him unto thee?" I feel that it is safe to interpret this reply as "We want him killed because of how we defined him in our heads, and not for any solid reason."

I wonder how often I judge my Savior based off the definition of him in my head. I create is picture of an all loving man who would do anything to make me happy - then become accusatory when things go wrong because the Savior I thought up would not let those types of things happen. Or I create a picture of a teacher who is so focused on helping me develop personally that I ignore grace and mercy, then feel abandoned when I become weak. The truth is there and it isn't in our heads, and the best way to find and maintain that truth is through constant experience of interacting with Christ. He needs to not be a memory in our minds that can become whatever our circumstances wish him to be, but a real companion that can not be distorted because he is always there to remind us of who he really is.

Now, as to making accusations towards other people, I had an experience yesterday that helped me to understand this concept. Something had happened where someone else did something hurtful, and I was justifiably upset about it. I still loved the person, but was so hurt and shocked that I felt that all the accusations I were making about this person was alright because, after all, they were accurate and I was clearly the victim. Then my wonderful fiance stepped in, and spoke some very touching words. Even though this person was guilty of what they had done I should not lose my compassion. Angry drives away the spirit, while empathy and concern for the hurt emotions behind the actions of this other person will help me to become more of a disciple of Christ.

In summary, be careful before you look for accusations towards others. Think if you are really trying to define another person, and be even more aware of what focusing on those accusations are doing to your heart.