Sometimes accepting God’s will can be difficult. But when we obey and serve him with real intent, God will lead us to a life that is greater than what we could have created on our own.
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi tells us that “men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). God wants us to be happy, not just in the life to come but right now. However, in order to achieve happiness, we must choose to follow God’s path with real intent, avoid distractions, and use our agency wisely. When we do so, he will bless our lives eternally.
Photo courtesy of LDS Media Library
While serving as Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Randall L. Ridd spoke to young adults about living with purpose and the importance of having real intent. He reminds us that we must learn to use our agency in order to obtain a joyful life.
He urges us to ponder questions such as the following: Is my daily focus on the world or on Christ? Am I reading my scriptures and praying just because I have to, or am I doing them because I love God and want to come closer to him? Questions such as these, if answered honestly, have the power to change our lives and our perspective. These changes can bring us earthly and eternal joy.
Among Brother Ridd’s many thoughtful examples, he shares with us his personal struggle in choosing to serve a mission. He explains that he had to reexamine his focus and avoid the distractions of work and other relationships that he realized were not as important at the time. That decision, although initially difficult, has blessed his life and has filled him with joy.
Never doubt that the Lord’s “ways [are] higher than [our] ways” (Isaiah 55:9). Through obeying the Lord and seeking him with real intent, you too will find that the Lord intends for you to enjoy a happy life filled with rich blessings.
Always remember that God can enhance and beautify your life as you choose to obey him with real intent.
Read Randall L. Ridd’s article, “Living with Purpose: The Importance of ‘Real Intent.’”
Source: lds.org
—Jessica Porter, Mormon Insights
Find more insights
Watch or read President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s address “Happiness, Your Heritage.”
Watch a humorous parable, “Your Potential, Your Privileges,” by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Suriani
It’s really easy to forget what our purpose in life is and feel lost. we are constantly bombarded by many different things pulling us in different directions and it might be hard to choose what to do. that’s why i think what it says in this article it’s important. if we remember to follow god’s way and make that our purpose in life, we won’t find ourselves hesitating when making a choice or lost when deciding what to do. we just have to remember what we believe and what we should do to go towards our eternal goal.
This is a good reminder to step back sometimes and re-examine how we’re doing. We may be doing all the things we’re supposed to, but if it’s becoming a checklist, then it hardly does any good. We can’t easily learn if we’re not engaged with “real intent.”