When you think of the word “humble,” what does that bring to mind? I used to think it meant “lowly,” “downtrodden,” “having low self-esteem.” However, God has asked us to be humble, and He doesn’t want us to feel bad about ourselves. What does He want? He wants us to turn to Him in times of grief. He wants us to acknowledge that we are powerless on our own and that we need Him constantly. That is the true definition of humility – to turn to God for help and to recognize His hand in all things, knowing that He deserves the praise, and not us.
When a trial comes up in our lives, it’s easy to wonder, “Why me?” We read our scriptures, we go to church, we pay our tithing, and we lovingly serve those around us. We’re doing everything we can to be good people, so why would God allow this horrible thing to enter our lives? Are we being punished in some way?
Every trial that we face is crucial to our education. One of the most important things we can learn is to be humble – to “turn to (God) in every thought.” (D&C 6:36) Oftentimes, it’s not so much a matter of conquering the trial with a smile on our face as it is – who did we lean on in our time of grief? Did we trust the Lord to handle it for us, or did we try to deal with it alone? Did we realize that He was there all the time, ready to rescue us, or were we determined to tough it out on our own merits?
The next time you are tempted to ask, “Why me?” think of it as a tremendous opportunity to grow closer to your Heavenly Father. Go to Him, ask for His help in your trial, and ask Him to fight your battles for you. He will take that burden off you. You may still have to face some ugliness, but He will be right there to walk you through it. There’s no need to face your trials alone, and indeed, no way to overcome them alone. There’s no need to feel picked on or unloved. He is there, just waiting for you to humble yourself enough to ask for help.
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Becoming the Woman I Want to Be
General Conference: That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be With Us