Have you ever asked Siri what 0 divided by 0 equals?
Siri answers something really smart alecky about dividing zero cookies amongst zero friends and cookie monster being sad and whatever. It always made the kids giggle when they were little and usually made me want to make cookies! :)
But have you ever asked Siri what 0 x 0 =
The answer is not silly at all. The answer is simply just zero.
But maybe Siri could use an update. Here’s what I propose she says:
“When we put zero effort into something, we get zero blessings from it.”
We have powerful promises given to us by modern apostles that when we engage in sacrificing to center our lives on Christ our entire families will be blessed. These promised blessings range from increased protection from the adversary, strengthened testimonies, and greater light and knowledge from the Holy Ghost. These are blessings that we all could use….no matter what season of life we are in.
By definition, sacrifice means to give up something of value for the sake of something else even more important or more worthy. Sometimes I think we think of sacrifice and we think of big things--like donating lots of money or spending hours and hours on a church calling, but I think that the sacrifices that really matter are the day-to-day ones. The little things we give up to bless our families and to keep Christ in our daily lives.
A perfect example of this is the sacrifice mothers and fathers make to raise their children in faith. That may mean waking up a little earlier than you want to say a prayer with the kids that leave the house first. That may mean not watching that show on Saturday night, so you can finish reading the Come, Follow Me reading for that week. Or it may mean following a prompting to do something you'd rather not do.
If you will sacrifice what the Lord has asked you to sacrifice, he will make more out of your life than you can.
There are many examples of people all over the world that sacrifice huge things in the name of following Christ. I read an example about members of the church in Sub-Saharan Africa not working their farms on Sunday and somehow finding that their fields are yielding more crops than neighboring farms that are much larger.
In my own family, my parents have given up 2-years of their retirement to serve the people of Paris, France on a senior mission. It is a sacrifice not only of comfort, but also of money, and time away from family and friends. Us kids honestly wondered if they would even be able to get their house ready to rent out for two years, let alone have the stamina to do what needed to be done on a mission. Yet they are thriving. They are being stretched in ways that are blessing their lives as much as the people they’re serving. Their blessings far outweigh the sacrifice they’ve made.
This quote illustrates this point perfectly:
“The Lord’s ways are higher than our ways—and so is His arithmetic. It is different than ours.” (Chad Webb, S&I Broadcast, August 2015)
Yes, it’s true that 0 x 0 = 0 and that if we don’t put any effort to studying Come, Follow Me with our families, we’ll receive zero blessings for it. BUT 1 + 1 in the Lord’s arithmetic is much greater than 2. Christ takes us where we are and makes us more. Makes us enough. He blesses us in beautiful and multitudinous ways that we can barely fathom. CHRIST + ME = ENOUGH
Elder Richard G Scott has said, “Are there so many fascinating, exciting things to do, or so many challenges pressing upon you, that it is hard to keep focused on that which is essential? Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people, those who are committed to a worthy, righteous life, who want to do good and intend to make the most of this life. His tool is distraction. He would have good people fill life with "good things" so there is no room for the "essential ones." Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?” (Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy [2007])
What is distracting us? For me it’s often my phone. It’s a blessing to be able to communicate so easily with my family that live scattered all over the world, but how often do I let myself get sucked into social media or other pursuits that have no lasting value? It’s all about balance.
Sacrifice is a matter of the heart.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give’…are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us.” We can surrender our will to His, and dedicate our lives to building up His kingdom and serving His children.”
And in D&C 64:33 we read, "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”
Let us not be weary in making room for Christ in our lives. It is worth every sacrifice--large or small--to allow those great blessings to come our way.
Siri answers something really smart alecky about dividing zero cookies amongst zero friends and cookie monster being sad and whatever. It always made the kids giggle when they were little and usually made me want to make cookies! :)
But have you ever asked Siri what 0 x 0 =
The answer is not silly at all. The answer is simply just zero.
But maybe Siri could use an update. Here’s what I propose she says:
“When we put zero effort into something, we get zero blessings from it.”
We have powerful promises given to us by modern apostles that when we engage in sacrificing to center our lives on Christ our entire families will be blessed. These promised blessings range from increased protection from the adversary, strengthened testimonies, and greater light and knowledge from the Holy Ghost. These are blessings that we all could use….no matter what season of life we are in.
By definition, sacrifice means to give up something of value for the sake of something else even more important or more worthy. Sometimes I think we think of sacrifice and we think of big things--like donating lots of money or spending hours and hours on a church calling, but I think that the sacrifices that really matter are the day-to-day ones. The little things we give up to bless our families and to keep Christ in our daily lives.
A perfect example of this is the sacrifice mothers and fathers make to raise their children in faith. That may mean waking up a little earlier than you want to say a prayer with the kids that leave the house first. That may mean not watching that show on Saturday night, so you can finish reading the Come, Follow Me reading for that week. Or it may mean following a prompting to do something you'd rather not do.
If you will sacrifice what the Lord has asked you to sacrifice, he will make more out of your life than you can.
There are many examples of people all over the world that sacrifice huge things in the name of following Christ. I read an example about members of the church in Sub-Saharan Africa not working their farms on Sunday and somehow finding that their fields are yielding more crops than neighboring farms that are much larger.
In my own family, my parents have given up 2-years of their retirement to serve the people of Paris, France on a senior mission. It is a sacrifice not only of comfort, but also of money, and time away from family and friends. Us kids honestly wondered if they would even be able to get their house ready to rent out for two years, let alone have the stamina to do what needed to be done on a mission. Yet they are thriving. They are being stretched in ways that are blessing their lives as much as the people they’re serving. Their blessings far outweigh the sacrifice they’ve made.
This quote illustrates this point perfectly:
“The Lord’s ways are higher than our ways—and so is His arithmetic. It is different than ours.” (Chad Webb, S&I Broadcast, August 2015)
Yes, it’s true that 0 x 0 = 0 and that if we don’t put any effort to studying Come, Follow Me with our families, we’ll receive zero blessings for it. BUT 1 + 1 in the Lord’s arithmetic is much greater than 2. Christ takes us where we are and makes us more. Makes us enough. He blesses us in beautiful and multitudinous ways that we can barely fathom. CHRIST + ME = ENOUGH
Elder Richard G Scott has said, “Are there so many fascinating, exciting things to do, or so many challenges pressing upon you, that it is hard to keep focused on that which is essential? Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people, those who are committed to a worthy, righteous life, who want to do good and intend to make the most of this life. His tool is distraction. He would have good people fill life with "good things" so there is no room for the "essential ones." Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?” (Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy [2007])
What is distracting us? For me it’s often my phone. It’s a blessing to be able to communicate so easily with my family that live scattered all over the world, but how often do I let myself get sucked into social media or other pursuits that have no lasting value? It’s all about balance.
Sacrifice is a matter of the heart.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give’…are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us.” We can surrender our will to His, and dedicate our lives to building up His kingdom and serving His children.”
And in D&C 64:33 we read, "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”
Let us not be weary in making room for Christ in our lives. It is worth every sacrifice--large or small--to allow those great blessings to come our way.
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