The Confidence to Ask

I was reminded today that Easter is coming up in a few months, and General Conference is coming with it, so I had better start blogging about General Conference talks again before I run out of time (again).

President Eyring's Priesthood Session talk was about how Melchizedek Priesthood holders can help Aaronic Priesthood holders grow strong in Priesthood service. This mainly involves instilling in them the confidence that God can give them the power to do anything that is required of them in His service.

Hearing this message and pondering on it has caused me to wonder whether I have such confidence. Too often, I see myself as being too human, too timid, too lazy, and too talentless to fulfil the callings I've been given. I don't have the drive to talk to people. I don't have the skill to lead. I can serve; I am very good at offering service, but I don't always consider myself qualified to give the kind of service God asks of me.

Yet, theoretically, I know that God can help me. I know that He has great power, including the ability to give me power. I know that, in theory, God could give me all of the courage and confidence I lack. He certainly could grant me the power to be an excellent Melchizedek Priesthood holder, if I ask Him to.

The trouble is that I forget to ask. I don't know if it's that I just assume that God will automatically help me if I need His help to do something He asked me to do, or if I think His asking of me to do something is evidence that He thinks I can do it (even without His help). Unfortunately, God often asks us to do things we cannot do without His help, and He seldom grants us special help without our asking for it. I know that God can give any of us all the power we need, but first we need to ask for it.

So I suppose I do have the confidence that God can give me the power to do what He wants me to do; I just don't have much experience with that. The next time I feel overwhelmed, though, I'll try to remember to reach out to God for help. Thankfully, I know that I can always ask God to help me, and I know that He has the power to do so. Now I just need to remember to call upon that power and draw upon the help that I know God can offer me.