Overcoming the Natural Man to Seek First the Kingdom of God

This is a talk that I was asked to prepare and present in my ward a few weeks ago, and I have been meaning to post it on here to share with you. I was asked to speak on "Seeking first the Kingdom of God" which is kind of a broad topic, and as I put it together it ended up being more focused on overcoming the Natural man, but here it is.

In Luke Chapter 12 Jesus taught his disciples through a parable in which he says: 

"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

While all of us may not be farmers, we can all still relate to this man who wanted to hold tightly onto the fruit of his labors. It is natural for man and woman to feel entitled to what we have produced or earned through hard work and diligence. It is also natural for us to feel proud of what we have done or accomplished in life. Our wants and desires also come very naturally to us, after all were only human right? So when we get our pay checks it is only fair that we use that hard earned money to fulfill our desires and wants, and of course when we have done really well we should be able to reward ourselves by getting a bigger house, a faster car, or a new boat. Because how else will everyone else know of our great achievements, if they can't see us moving up in the world?

While this feeling of self entitlement comes to us naturally, we must learn to overcome it because as it says in Mosiah 3:19

"The natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

In follow up to the parable, Jesus said unto his disciples, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

As we try to further relate this parable to our own lives and situations, ask and ponder to yourselves what are the things, that you treasure most in this life, and where do the desires of your heart lie? Do they bring you closer to your savior Jesus Christ and your Heavenly Father? Can you take them with you after this life? How do the help or hinder your eternal progression? Are our desires and wants in accordance with our Heavenly Fathers?"

I know for me personally as I pondered these questions about my own personal desires and wants, that not all of them are helping to me to progress forward beyond this life into eternity. Despite having desires to follow Christ and return to live with our Heavenly Father, worldly desires often cloud our judgement. And when this occurs the natural man overcomes us as we seek out our selfish desires. 

As we read earlier in Mosiah, "The natural man is an enemy to God" so if our selfish desires comes from the natural man within us, they to are an enemy unto God. Elder Neal A. Maxwell had this to say about selfishness:

"Selfishness is much more than an ordinary problem because it activates all the cardinal sins! It is the detonator in the breaking of the Ten Commandments.

By focusing on oneself, it is naturally easier to bear false witness if it serves one’s purpose. It is easier to ignore one’s parents instead of honoring them. It is easier to steal, because what one wants prevails. It is easier to covet, since the selfish conclude that nothing should be denied them.

It is easier to commit sexual sins, because to please oneself is the name of that deadly game in which others are often cruelly used. The Sabbath day is easily neglected, since one day soon becomes just like another. If selfish, it is easier to lie, because the truth is conveniently subordinated.

The selfish individual thus seeks to please not God, but himself. He will even break a covenant in order to fix an appetite.

Selfishness has little time to regard the sufferings of others seriously, hence the love of many waxes cold."

So how can we overcome these desires and align them with our a Heavenly Fathers? Well 

Elder Maxwell addressed this as well, he said:

"Unchecked selfishness thus stubbornly blocks the way for developing all of the divine qualities: love, mercy, patience, long-suffering, kindness, graciousness, goodness, and gentleness. Any tender sprouts from these virtues are sheared off by sharp selfishness. Contrariwise, brothers and sisters, I cannot think of a single gospel covenant the keeping of which does not shear off selfishness from us!"

He also went on to say:

"One of the last, subtle strongholds of selfishness is the natural feeling that we “own” ourselves. Of course we are free to choose and are personally accountable. Yes, we have individuality. But those who have chosen to “come unto Christ” soon realize that they do not “own” themselves. Instead, they belong to Him. We are to become consecrated along with our gifts, our appointed days, and our very selves. Hence, there is a stark difference between stubbornly “owning” oneself and submissively belonging to God. Clinging to the old self is not a mark of independence, but of indulgence!

The Prophet Joseph promised that when selfishness is annihilated, we “may comprehend all things, present, past, and future."

In Elders a quorum a couple of weeks ago our lesson was centered on an article form President David O. McKay, entitled: A Personal Interview with the Savior in which he is speaking to the brethren of the church and he says: "Let me assure you, Brethren, that some day you will have a personal priesthood interview with the Savior himself."

In which he says, "I will tell you the order in which he will ask you to account for your earthly responsibilities.

And as we discussed in Elders quorum, not a single one of these questions, pertains to worldly accumulation or authority, but each of these questions leaves us accountable for the things that we did in this life that will help us progress forward in eternity with our Heavenly Father. 

So as I prepared this talk I thought that these questions could helpful in aligning our desires with our Heavenly Fathers' as we try to better seek the kingdom of God.

Here were the six questions:

"First, he will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife. Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual?"

Second, he will want an accountability report about each of your children individually. He will not attempt to have this for simply a family stewardship but will request information about your relationship to each and every child."

With both of these questions we can see the value God places on family. So by putting the needs of our family over our own needs we can learn fight off the selfishness of our own desires.

"Third, he will want to know what you personally have done with the talents you were given in the preexistence."

While the natural man may want us to believe that we have no talent at all, or that what talents we do have that we have built them up ourselves while giving no credit to God. But it is important that we learn what talents we have been given and develop them as we seek out the kingdom of God.

"Fourth, he will want a summary of your activity in your Church assignments. He will not be necessarily interested in what assignments you have had, for in his eyes the home teacher and a mission president are probably equals, but he will request a summary of how you have been of service to your fellow man in your Church assignments."

I think this one is important as it reminds that even righteous desires can be corrupted by selfishness. It is important that as we continually work to build up the kingdom of God that our reason for doing so is pure, and that we are not seeking recognition or glory for doing so.

"Fifth, he will have no interest in how you earned your living but if you were honest in all your dealings.

Sixth, he will ask for an accountability on what you have done to contribute in a positive manner to your community, state, country, and the world."

As Mentioned earlier if you can't bring it with you after this life, it's not going to help you in seeking out the Kingdom of God, so don't sacrifice your eternal progression, to try and raise up your earthly stature. But instead contribute to the well being of all those around you, and like Elder Maxwell said "we belong to him" and as we submit our will to his, it is then that we can overcome the natural man and seek the kingdom of God.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Don’t let the whirlwinds drag you down. These are your days—to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have been given the opportunity to teach priesthood meeting on the fourth Sunday of every month. My lessons each month are based off a different talks from the General Conference, that are assigned to me to teach from. And I have decided that I would go ahead and share my lessons on my blog each month as well, in each post I will include a link to the original talk where you can read, watch or listen to it online. And with this post as well as any of my other posts, please don't see it as me trying to be preachy, because like they say usually those teaching have the most to learn, which is definitely the case for me.

Todays lesson comes from Elder Neil L. Andersen's talk called "Spiritual Whirlwinds" from last month's (April 2014) General Conference.

Click this link to Listen, Read, or Watch: Spiritual Whirlwinds by Elder Neil L. Andersen

In his talk he was speaking to the youth of our church about the importance of preparing for the spiritual whirlwinds that they may be faced with in the world around them. Like a physical whirlwind or tornado, spiritual whirlwinds can come at us from any direction and with no warning, and they are not likely to come in calmly but in full force. So we must prepare ourselves now and build upon a firm foundation that will allow us to weather through the storms that are coming.

In Doctrine & Covenants 88:91 in reference to the Second Coming of the Savior it says "And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people." It is this commotion that we must prepare ourselves for, so that we will not allow the fear to overcome us. Because if we have prepared we will have a firm foundation to stand upon while the storms whirl around us.

Brigham Young said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.” So if we look at the growth of the church in recent years we can clearly see that we have made great strides as our missionary efforts have increased and Temples have risen up all across the world, the Gospel is spreading into many nations. But with that growth it is important to recognize that satan's power and influence has also grown. He is everywhere all the time, he comes in through our thoughts and actions, he comes in through our media and daily interactions.

So now more than ever we must build up our defenses and strengthen ourselves from the ongoing influence he has over all the world. While we often fear the prophesied earthquakes and wars we tend to overlook the spiritual whirlwinds that are here now, which can be just as devastating to our lives and the lives of our families. And all to often these attacks to our spirituality go unnoticed and if left unattended they can lead to a spiritual death.

As the adversary works to destroy us he uses every resource available to him to find his way in, to our hearts and our minds. So we must also use every resource available to us to build ourselves and others up. Satan is the master of temptation and manipulation and as such he has always used sin and transgression to damn the progress of our spiritual growth. While Sin and temptation have always been a part of this world since the creation of Adam and Eve, it has never been so prominent and acceptable as it is in the world we live in now. Not only are we bombarded by it from every direction in our daily lives, we are often made to feel like an outsider or mocked for our choices to not take part in something that is against our beliefs and standards.  

As we move forward in life we are constantly faced with choices and decisions that can have a long lasting effect on our lives and spirituality. But as we go through life not every spiritual whirlwind is going to enter into our lives as the result of a bad choice or wrongdoing. Sometimes they just happen because we are mortal and we don't have full control over our lives and the course it takes. These spiritual whirlwinds may come in the form of illness, loss of a loved one, or as the result of others choices and actions. But regardless of the source they can still be just as devastating to our progress. As they can take away our hope and faith, leaving us with no desire to move forward, but as we face these trials in life, and trust in God these can have the opposite result as they strengthen our faith and buildup our hope.

In First Corinthians 10:13  it says "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." In this scripture we are promised that there is no temptation or sin that we can not overcome and escape and that we will not be given more that we can bear. Though I know from personal experience it often feels like we are faced with challenges and problems in our lives that we can not bear or overcome. But if we trust in God and our savior Jesus Christ they will provide away for us. 

If we falter and are brought down by the temptations in Satan's spiritual whirlwinds we can still overcome the sins we have stumbled on in life, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He has made it possible for all of us to go through the process of repentance and return to our Heavenly Father's loving embrace. 

In Elder Andersen's talk he says that "In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree from winds that are sure to return." And that "You are infinitely more precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead."

So despite the hardship and trials that we face in life we need to keep moving forward in life and use these experiences to strengthen our spirituality so we can be better prepared as we continue to face the challenges and trials of this life. We need to build ourselves up on a solid foundation, and let our Redeemer Jesus Christ be the foundation upon which we build. So that when the storms of life begin to beat down on you it will have no power to bring you down.

Elder Andersen then quotes, President Thomas S. Monson who has said, “Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider.” of which Elder Andersen pointed out that "This chasm, for some, stirs strong spiritual whirlwinds."

He then continues with an example about how the world's definition of marriage been the topic of change and and progression. But despite the changing of the world's definition of marriage that we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, need to look to the doctrine found in 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World.' And that despite changes to civil laws of man we need to uphold to God's moral laws. 

While I think many of us will agree that this is an uncomfortable discussion to have, Elder Andersen asks why do continue to talk about this?  And he replies with a quote from Paul who said “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” And that as "Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the responsibility to teach our Creator’s plan for His children and to warn of the consequences of disregarding His commandments."

And that "While many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not. In the very beginning, God initiated marriage between a man and a woman—Adam and Eve. He designated the purposes of marriage to go far beyond the personal satisfaction and fulfillment of adults to, more importantly, advancing the ideal setting for children to be born, reared, and nurtured. Families are the treasure of heaven."

And because families are the treasure of heaven I think it best if focus on that for a moment, because despite our differences and our struggles in life we are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father which makes us all brothers and sisters. So we need to learn to cherish that bond so that not only will it be the treasure of Heaven but also something we can cherish and strengthen in this life. I am sure we have all heard the phrase hate the sin and love the sinner, well I don't think that is possible. If we let hate into our hearts it will only spill over into other parts of our lives. So i feel it is important to just love the each other, and to do so without judgement or stipulation. By doing so not only will we strengthen each other but we might better understand each other as well. 

The Savior of mankind described Himself as being in the world but not of the world. We to must live in this world and as we learn to accept others for who they are and better understand each other, while remaining true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can strengthen our foundation.

Elder Andersen says "Of special concern to us should be those who struggle with same-sex attraction. It is a whirlwind of enormous velocity. I want to express my love and admiration for those who courageously confront this trial of faith and stay true to the commandments of God! But everyone, independent of his or her decisions and beliefs, deserves our kindness and consideration.

He also speaks of the Savior's teaching in that he 'taught us to love not only our friends but also those who disagree with us—and even those who repudiate us. He said: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? … And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?”"

And that the Prophet Joseph Smith warned us to “beware of self-righteousness” and to enlarge our hearts toward all men and women until we feel “to take them upon our shoulders.” In the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no place for ridicule, bullying, or bigotry.

h also quotes President Monson who said, "‘You have to stand alone.’ Hopefully...we will stand together in being true to God and to the teachings of His living prophets.”"

Elder Andersen said "if you have a question about counsel from the leaders of the Church, please discuss your honest concerns with your parents and leaders. You need the strength that comes from trusting the Lord’s prophets. President Harold B. Lee said: “The only safety we have as members of this church is to … learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet. … There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes. … It may contradict your political views … your social views … interfere with … your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, … ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you …’ (D&C 21:6)."

What are some of the tools and resources that we have available to us that can be used to protect us against the spiritual whirlwinds of life?

• Reading from scriptures. (The Book of Mormon along with all our other scriptures.)
• Building up our testimony and lean the testimony of others when ours is not strong enough.
• Going to church and being actively involved in our wards and stakes.
• Attending the temple and living up to the covenants we have made there.
• Stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ
• Build more firmly your foundation upon the rock of your Redeemer.
• Treasure more completely His incomparable life and teachings.
• Follow more diligently His example and His commandments.
• Embrace more deeply His love, His mercy and grace, and the powerful gifts of His Atonement.

As you do these things, Elder Andersen said "I promise you that you will see the whirlwinds for what they are—tests, temptations, distractions, or challenges to help you grow. And as you live righteously year after year, I assure you that your experiences will confirm to you again and again that Jesus is the Christ. The spiritual rock under your feet will be solid and secure. You will rejoice that God has placed you here to be a part of the final preparations for Christ’s glorious return. The Savior said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” This is His promise to you. I know this promise is real. I know that He lives, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."