13 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.
Talk about a natural consequence! If you brag about how amazing you are on your own, you may actually be left alone, and may learn by experience how weak you really are. As you begin to experience failure (possibly even catastrophic failure), you may begin to realize how wrong you were to claim credit for your former accomplishments. Mormon tells us that as a result of this enormous military loss, “the judgments of God did stare them in the face…and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish” (Helaman 4:23, 25).
The reason God gives us weakness is so that we will humble ourselves and qualify for His strengthening power (Ether 12:27). Unfortunately, we have a hard time humbling ourselves and seeking His help when our weaknesses aren’t evident. However, one of the messages of the Book of Mormon is that we have the ability to choose a different path. Alma told the poor Zoramites, “I verily believe that there are some among you who would humble themselves, let them be in whatsoever circumstances they might” (Alma 32:25).
Today, I will choose to humble myself. I will plead with the Lord to help me through the challenges I face, and I will acknowledge “from whence [my] blessings come” (Mormon 5:10).