To begin the new year, I thought I'd review the prinicple of what it means to Live in Truth. So today let's start with John 14:1 where the Savior tells us to, “Let not your heart be troubled.” The Greek word that is translated troubled in this verse is tarasso. Tarasso means “to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity; to disquiet, make restless; to stir up; to trouble: to strike one's spirit with fear and dread; to render anxious or distressed.” In other words, the Savior is telling us to not let life vex us. The first step to accomplishing this is to admit to ourselves that being vexed is a choice we make. Too often we think that thoughts and feelings are thrust upon us, and that we have no control over them. That would make us helpless victims. But the Good News! is that we can choose our thoughts and feelings. We are in control.
In the scriptures the word heart is often used for the concept of feelings and in Proverbs I found a piece of advice I like. It says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The Complete Jewish Bible translates that same verse as, “Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life's consequences.” And the New International Version of the Bible translates it, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Between the three definitions we get a very good idea of what God is trying to teach us here.
The secret to happiness is to carefully choose the thoughts and feelings we let into our hearts and minds. It is possible to keep our hearts from being troubled! So if we feel vexation creeping in, the first thing to do is realize we have power to cast it away. We are not victims of feelings, we are agents that control the feelings. We can choose happiness!
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3 comments:
so what about when the Lord tells Oliver Cowdrey in section 6 about speaking peace. That and other scriptures tell me that the stupor of thought and also being anxious and worried about something is not a good choice. If It's a good choice we feel peace.
Right now I'm trying to figure out if I should give my ex a second chance. When I talk to him and he's convincing I think I could give it a try, but other times It's stressful for me and I don't like the anxiousness I feel. The flip flopping, the know I'll hurt him, what the decision means for me in all it's ramifications, etc.
Is that telling me something? I might be.
I especially appreciate the last paragraph. Thanks for the good reminder. :)
I like seeing the scriptural references of the principle of having the power to control our thoughts and feelings. I am hoping that practice will make perfect.
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