Something we've seen as we've read about Joseph in Egypt is that life is full of ups and downs. Joseph was well favored by his father, then then he was sold into slavery by his brothers. Then he was doing well again, until he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. He did well in prison, too, but he was forgotten. When he was finally released, he interpreted Pharaoh's dream and saved all of Egypt and his family, which was great, except that resulted in his family's descendants being enslaved by the Egyptians. And on and on it goes, with good fortune and misfortune following one another in an endless cycle of blessings and afflictions and afflictions that ultimately work out to become blessings.
It's frustrating. One would think that being righteous would mean that one would have more blessings than afflictions, but since many of those afflictions turn out to be blessings in disguise, it can be hard to say even whether a person is being blessed or cursed. In theory, revocation of blessings can be a call to repentance, a sign that God isn't pleased with the person whose blessings He revoked, but as we see with Joseph, that's not always the case. So, what are we to make of the ups and downs in our lives? When misfortune befalls us, how can we know whether the afflictions are signs of God's disapproval or whether they're blessings in disguise?
I'm not sure we can know. It may be that the only thing we can do is try to repent and be righteous, regardless of our circumstances and accept the fact that our circumstances will improve and regress, regardless of our actions. Sometimes the righteous are blessed and the wicked are punished, and sometimes the wicked are temporarily allowed to prosper and the righteous are given afflictions that ultimately become blessings. Thus, we cannot tell from our current circumstances whether God is blessing us or cursing us or whether He's pleased with us or not.
As far as I know, God never stopped being pleased with Joseph, yet his life had plenty of ups and downs. Our lives will certainly have plenty of ups and downs, too, no matter how God feels about us.
4 comments:
Yes, it can be frustrating when we go through hard times.
It's good to learn & remember that God said, "... all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."
—Doctrine and Covenants 122:7 (emphasis added)
We can learn from every challenge and every circumstance we go through.
You said, "It may be that the only thing we can do is try to repent and be righteous, regardless of our circumstances". That is a good start. I don't think it's the "only thing" we can do — we can also look for ways we can learn and grow. We can try to see things from a more eternal perspective. Everything in life is part of God's plan. We can try to see repentance — not as something negative, but as normal adjustments and re-calibration to be aligned with our goals, and with our Heavenly Father.
We can ask ourselves, what Christlike attributes can I develop and practice in this situation? How can it help me be a better person? How can this challenge help me appreciate the gospel and grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? What are some blessings this situation can help me remember — I do have? When I start listing all the things I am unhappy about, I try to remember to recognize specific things that I am grateful for, and that helps me see that I am blessed, and everything will be ok.
For example, I have trouble with my joints, but achy joints or sores on my feet can remind me of many blessings. I can still walk. I have a nice place to rest. I have family who love and help me. I will be resurrected one day & have a body that works perfectly. It seems counter-intuitive, but having challenges with my health can help me be grateful for my body and the things that are going well with it — if I make a conscience effort to seek peace and look for those things.
We can also put our trust in Christ. It’s amazing enough that he paid the price for our mistakes, but he’s also promised to help us through them. He said, “… yet will I not forget thee … I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (1 Nephi 21:15-16) “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, … and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) He doesn’t say, he’ll take our whole load. In the same way a task seems lighter and more enjoyable when we do it with a friend, Christ is telling us: I’ll help you, and we can do this together.
You asked, "So, what are we to make of the ups and downs in our lives? When misfortune befalls us, how can we know whether the afflictions are signs of God's disapproval or whether they're blessings in disguise?"
I would say, ups and downs are just part of life. The sooner we accept the fact that life isn't fair, the sooner we can gain more peace and satisfaction in our life.
I remember this quote from President Hinckley: “Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey–delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 1984:86)
There have been times when God has sent floods or plagues, but most of the time, I don’t think our “afflictions are signs of God's disapproval”. Often they are just the natural consequences of our choices (or the choices of others). Often, it’s simply a natural part of living in a terrestrial world. We need to remember that we are still in the middle of God’s plan, not at the end of it. What story do you know of where everything goes smoothly in the middle?
I think the key is to stop asking “why” this is happening, and look for things you can do. Realizing that we have the ability to choose and take action brings an empowering feeling of hope. Sometimes, the choice to have faith and hope is the very action we need to take. When we choose to be optimistic, the world is brighter.
"It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela
"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet,” "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at." "While there’s life, there is hope." “Try to make sense of what you see and about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.” — Stephen Hawking
Cinema Therapy has a great video on 'Radical Acceptance & Dealing with Hardship' with examples from 'THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2qqfafRdEQ
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