The Perfect Example

Every now and then I'm lucky enough to get the humbling reminder that I'm not very good at things. The other night, I was kneeling near my bed to pray before going to sleep, and I had my arms up on the bed. The next thing I knew, I didn't really know what was going on, and my arm hurt really really bad. In my best efforts to pray, I may or may not have fallen asleep, and my arm was on the brink of being completely numb. And it was disappointing! It's tough because I know how important prayer is-it's literal communication with our Father in Heaven! It's such a blessing and an opportunity, and I, being the weak, imperfect person that I am, fell asleep :(

And although that's a small example, we all definitely have weaknesses. I know I have a lot of them. We are all faced with a ton of different trials and challenges each and every day. I think one of the hardest parts of those challenges is that we want to do the right thing, but a lot of times we just don't know what that is, or in the moment we forget, or something like that. Whatever the case may be, we are reminded that we still have some room for improvement :)

But that's just another one of the reasons why I am so grateful for the Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly was the perfect example in everything. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to treat others. He taught us how to love, how to obey, how to teach, how to react to the not so friendly situations of life, etc. He faced it all. And now we may not have a record of the Savior being tempted to say something not so nice to a younger brother or sister, or something trivial like that, but we can see His example as he faced those that sought to condemn Him. We see His example as He taught His Gospel to all those around Him. We see His example as He showed true and genuine love and compassion for all those who crossed His path. As we study His life and His teachings, we learn of His character. We learn what He would do if He were faced with the situations that we encounter.

We find strength as we study the scriptures. They are there for our guidance and benefit. Jesus Christ suffered and died for the sins of the world. He rose on the third day to bring everlasting life to those who believe on His name. But even on top of that, He gave us the perfect example in every aspect of our life. If we strive to follow His example, and emulate the Master, our lives will be full of joy. And that's something that I've definitely seen in my life. As I am trying to put into practice what He taught, I know I am still not perfect, but that God accepts me for who I am, and helps me as I strive to become more like the Savior. And that thought brings a lot of peace. The Savior is the perfect example.