As Latter-Day Saints we understand that this life is a test. We are here to be tested and tried in our faith and our obedience. We can suffer from physical pain, which in itself can hamper our quality of life and mood. We can suffer from psychological and emotional difficulties. I have suffered from both and for me, personally, the mind has been the hardest to overcome. Thoughts slip in and out. Irritability, anger, guilt, depression.
Our Spirits are made up of our Heavenly Father and Mother. We are sons and daughters of God! We all stumble and get discouraged. Our biggest lessons are from our biggest mistakes. We have the most growth when we push through the hard times with our head up and doing those things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father. When we keep our faith and obedience during hard times He is pleased. He is pleased when we mess up and repent and try harder next time. He didn't send us here to be perfect, but to become perfected (maybe that should be another post).
Sometimes I get so warped and wrapped up in a mistake I become consumed. As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "But there is an important difference between the sorrow for sin that leads to repentance and the sorrow that leads to despair." The Apostle Paul taught that "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation...but the sorrow of the world worketh to death."
True repentance will be transforming. The broken heart and contrite spirit (Godly sorrow) that is felt when you have sinned brings you to repentance. When the guilt brings us to self-loathing and prevents us from rising up (I have been there) then it is impeding our repentance. Bad things happen, we make bad choices sometimes, but the atonement is a light. It is a beautiful thing. When I start with the self-loathing and I am stuck in chains I know it is Satan. There is no light there. I am too stubborn to let him win. I do my best to recognize it for what it is, pray to my Heavenly Father and get a blessing if I feel I need one.
There is light even in darkness. I have to say, do not let Satan win. Satan wants us to believe we are no good and we can't do it. Satan can hit the hardest when you are doing the most good. When you are doing the Lord's work and building His kingdom Satan wants nothing more than to get you to stop or to rip your family apart.
This life is hard, but we can find joy. It is our choice. You can't go wrong with the Lord on your side. We all have our own battles we are fighting, so let's be gentle with one another.
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