Practical Application of Christ’s Teachings: Part 2
As we continue to study the Sermon on the Mount, we see that the Savior understands us and our needs better than any psychologist, philosopher, guru, or self-help author in history. He knows our concerns, trials, motivations, and proclivities to act as we do. He knows where and how we can find understanding, meaning, and purpose in our daily lives. As such, we must consider and apply his words to overcome our weaknesses and build upon our strengths.
I have to say that my opinion and interpretation of the Savior’s divine teachings are limited and imperfect. My goal is to kindle a flame of desire in you to look more closely at the words of Jesus and seek further understanding through the Holy Spirit.
The beginning of Matthew chapter six talks about the way we worship. If I were to boil it all down to a single statement, it would be; Worship is not a competition. You don’t need to display your religious practices or advertise your holiness. Practicing your religion is not for show; however, your good works should speak for themselves. Anonymous acts of kindness and service leave the recipient only one option to give thanks and glory to, and that is to God.
Personal prayer is meant to be private. Most of your problems can’t be solved by anyone other than you with the help of a loving Father in Heaven. Besides that, sharing our problems with others may be an attempt to make ourselves a victim and garner sympathy, which does nothing to fix the problem. Our attitude towards heavenly communication makes a difference in how our prayers are answered. When we express our personal needs in public prayer, we are, in essence, asking the people who hear the prayer for help and making them the objects to which the prayer is offered, and not to God.
When the Savior gave us a template for praying, he laid out the components of effective prayer. Most of the prayer is reverencing The Father and seeking to do his will. The asking part of the prayer is relatively short and specific. The idea of only asking for the day’s needs and protection from evil and temptation suggests that we must pray daily. Prayer and daily meditation are powerful tools for maintaining a proper attitude and perspective, which allows us to have a more meaningful life. The Lord’s prayer also reminds us of our need to forgive and be forgiven. The supplication ends with giving God the glory for the blessings we enjoy.
Next is focusing on what matters most. It is my experience that we get what we think about most. The Savior uses the symbol of the eye to illustrate that if we look for light, we obtain it. If we look at evil things, we are filled with darkness. I believe that the best illustration of this point is pornography. I do not think there is anything that pushes us into darkness faster and more completely. Not only our eyes but our ears, nose, tongue, and heart gather sensory information, and we must pay careful attention to what we take in by any means. Seeking wholesome and beneficial stimuli and sustenance is vital to avoiding darkness and thriving in the light.
Next, don’t worry about things you can’t control. The list of things we have no control over is far longer than the things we can. In fact, there may be only one thing we can control; that is the choices we make, and if we make wrong choices, we lose that ability as well. When the Savior taught, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” he was not saying that it is okay to do nothing. Not worrying about those things is different from working to obtain them. Worry takes time and effort, and we have limited time and energy. Don’t waste these precious resources worrying. Focus on today.
Get your affairs in order before you try to change the world. You are no help to others when you can’t even help yourself. Saying this does not excuse you from helping others. Usually, struggling together benefits everyone, but don’t pretend that you stand on higher ground when you are not there. If you possess pearls of wisdom and experience, be careful with them. When you share these things with unprepared or indifferent people, not only are they rejected, but they are used against you to drag you down to lower ground.
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” However, don’t ask just anyone; only those who can be trusted. Who can be trusted? Again, the list is very short, and God is at the top. The list of false prophets is long, and many of them are very good at deception or are intellectually appealing. Constant evaluation of our sources of truth is necessary and may need revision occasionally. This assessment should include the comparison to scripture, modern and personal revelation. If you are true and faithful to the covenants you have made with God, you are entitled to protection from misleading and fraudulent information.
Finally, action is required. The Sermon on the Mount is only a collection of lovely words and ideas if we fail to internalize and live by them. They contain the secrets to sanity in an insane world. They provide guidelines for successful interactions with others. They are the key to keeping us on a path that leads to Heaven. They are a sure foundation that keeps us sheltered from the storms of life. Who wouldn’t want that?