A greater sense of purpose and identity

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Relief Society Session of the October 1997 Conference.

I was reading some dumb article earlier this week. Not even worth linking to, it had so many half-truths and weird errors in it, but it was from someone outside our religion, speaking with disaffected and former members and talking about problems they saw in the church. One of these former members said, about people who are still in the church, something like, "I feel sorry for them, because they haven't even discovered who they fully are yet."

I thought that was so interesting, because one of the best things (in my mind) about embracing the gospel is that it DOES help us know who we are! When we come to Christ, we learn exactly who we are and who we can become. And so I was nodding right along when I read what Sister Sheri Dew said in this women's sesssion talk:

There is a direct relationship between how we feel about Jesus Christ and how we see ourselves. We cannot increase our devotion to the Savior without also obtaining a greater sense of purpose, identity, and conviction.

That rang so true to me. If someone in this world does NOT have a sense of purpose, identity, and conviction, what they need is not fewer boundaries…greater license to follow their whims…"mind-expanding" drugs…more passionate political activism…none of those things! What they need is a relationship with Jesus Christ, who will help them see their infinite worth as well as their eternal potential. I love the purpose that I gain through trying to follow Jesus—not that I am necessarily better at following Him than anyone else—but the effort changes me and gives me a reason to seek good and do good. The effort leads me to greater vision and broader perspective. Every time I increase my devotion to Him, my life improves.

And it improves in so many ways. Even better than "discovering who I am," when I seek Jesus Christ, I discover what HE can be to me—how he will guide me, comfort me, support me. And the more I gain that knowledge, the more my own burdens lighten! You know I've been thinking about trust in God, and so I loved Sister Dew's description of how such trust can form:

There are no disclaimers or exceptions in His invitation. We are the ones who determine whether or not we will come unto Him. The drawing near, seeking, asking, and knocking are up to us. And the more we know about the Lord—meaning the more we experience His mercy, devotion, and willingness to guide us even when we may not feel worthy of His direction—the more confident we become that He will respond to our petitions.

As we increase our interaction with Him, we learn for ourselves that He will never betray us, never turn away, never change His criteria for coming unto Him. His attention is riveted on us, His brothers and sisters.

It can be hard to believe that, but when you come to believe it, it really does change your life. And I'm so glad! I don't know what I would do without the purpose and identity I am gaining in God's service.

Other posts in this series:

Women are Important—by Rozy