Imagine feeling overwhelmed with all that is required of you: all the demands on your time, energy, and attention. Perhaps you don't have to imagine feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you're really there. Now imagine being handed something that allows you to cut through all the worry and paralyzing uncertainty that hangs over you as you struggle to know what to do to move forward. Imagine chopping your way through heavy, smothering undergrowth, creating a smooth, clear way onward.
Moving on from the analogy into plainness, imagine God Himself reaching down and handing you a short list of priorities to focus your attention and guide you into confidently accomplishing what is really important. Wouldn't this help you feel better?
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Matthew 11: 28-30
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 14: 27
I invite you to take Jesus at His word, and exchange the burdensome yoke of oppression placed upon you by your sins and those of the world for the lighter one Jesus promises.
From Paul:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Galatians 5: 1, See also Mosiah 23: 13; Alma 58: 40
It might seem counterintuitive. How does standing fast ensure we are free? How can we be truly free if we choose to limit our movement? Doesn't keeping our feet in one place restrict our freedom?
These are great questions, appropriately considered by exploring what we might do to apply this interesting teaching. What does it look like to stand fast in liberty?
A major way I apply this prophetic teaching is by thinking of covenants.
Covenants are solemn agreements. They can be made between individuals, or business entities, or communities, tribes, nations, and other political entities. Covenants place the parties thereto under clear and strong obligations to honor the commitments outlined therein. Parties to covenants agree to perform some duty for the others involved in the covenant.
The most important covenants we make are with God.
Covenants with God establish connections to Him.
There are individual covenants, and there are covenants between God and groups of people collectively.
In our current state, so far removed from His holiness and perfection, these covenant opportunities are a miracle!
These covenants allow Him a direct connection with us while in a probationary period, subject to our individual sins as well as the evil and uncleanness that is in the world. They offer us the ability to bind ourselves to God in spite of all that is ungodly swirling about us during our time in mortality.
God condescends to offer covenant-making opportunities to His children. He reaches down into this fallen world and extends His loving, merciful hand to us, with the promise of lifting us up into higher and holier ways of living. These higher and holier ways offer us higher and holier joy as we honor our covenants.
God is faithful. He is worthy of every bit of trust, admiration, confidence, love, and hope that we can give Him. Despite our frailty, He honors our honest efforts to live righteously, and accepts our sincere repentance. He will never break His covenants. He is fully capable of fixing His determination on fulfilling every responsibility, every time. And He delivers, on time, every time.
If we are distanced from God, it is only by our failure to keep ourselves close to Him. (Romans 8)
Covenants remove ambiguity from our lives. We are given great clarity regarding the way we should walk and the correctness of our choices.
Being in covenant makes it easier to know where one stands with the Lord. Covenants offer simple, straightforward opportunities to answer "yes" or "no" to whether we are striving to be righteous.
Covenants focus us on doing the things that matter most. For me, they give a sense of direction and confidence. When focused on my covenants, I worry much less about knowing whether I am doing well in my spiritual living. Intentionally emphasizing my covenants helps me to clear away worldly uncertainty, which can blur lines and obscure my vision like a fog.
Fear and anxiety diminish as I reflect and take inventory of my covenants.
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One may ask, "What about those who didn't really understand what they took upon themselves when they made the covenants?"
I ask, "How much time and opportunity for training have they had between then and now, to fully learn their duties and grow in their understanding? They've been given enough. They have everything they need to go forward in faith, living by their covenants."
Binding ourselves to God by covenant allows us to put our personal agency into force, turning us into agents for the Lord. We effectualize our willingness to follow God. He enlists us into His great army. We are given peace and direction at the price of some few personal indulgences that tempt us away from God.
Think of it! It is totally unfair, in our favor. We give up some worldly things that weigh us down, and God gives us greater light and direction, which increases our capacity to receive further peace and joy. We can reap great benefits by our small initial investment.
Our first covenants with God are made when we are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We enter further covenants when we enter into priesthood, by ordination or by endowment, accept callings to service in the Church, are married, have children, and receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in our regular weekly worship.
In addition to these formal covenants, common among those who participate in building God's kingdom and family on Earth, there may be additional personal covenants established individually as one walks ever closer to God on their own unique journey back to Him. These personal covenants are given by direct communication from God, usually by the Holy Ghost.
Other individual covenants may be found by studying one's patriarchal blessing, given through an ordained Patriarch. These can give additional strength and courage as the individual pursues a righteous course outlined for them, carefully tailored to their own strengths, gifts, talents, desires and capacities.
I'm amazed at the depth and richness of covenant living. We have been offered so much help and guidance from God, if only we choose to see it and keep faithful to it, despite distractions or temptations otherwise.
Seek to enter into as many covenants with God as are available. Keep them. You will see great blessings come to pass as you walk in faith, by covenant.
See also:
The Power of Covenants, by D. Todd Christofferson
Honorably Hold a Name and Standing, by David A. Bednar
The Way of the Disciple, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need, by Richard G. Scott
We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf