The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt van Rijn
We all face adversity. We all feel sorrow. In Paul’s second epistle to church members in Corinth, he discusses the impact of these negative influences and teaches them how difficult experiences can yield growth. He had corrected them in a prior letter, but he hoped that correction would be well-received. (See 2 Corinthians 2:1-9, 2 Corinthians 7:8-16.) He had endured many painful experiences himself, but he showed them that hope still burned brightly in his soul. (See 2 Corinthians 1:3-14, 2 Corinthians 4:8-18, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10.) Above all, he wanted them to know that the Savior turns us into new people. Through His atoning sacrifice, we can be reconciled to God, and little by little, we can become like Him. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.)
Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned from the first half of this letter:
1. We need to open our heart so God can teach us.
As Moses descended from Mount Sinai for the second time, his face shone brightly. As a result, his people were afraid to approach him. Only after he covered his face with a veil were they willing to come near and hear the message he had received from the Lord. (See Exodus 34:29-35.)
The apostle Paul tells us that God wants to reveal to us even more glorious things than He revealed to Moses, but we have to be willing to take away the veil and receive the light. “When one turns to the Lord,” he says, “the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:16, English Standard Version).
Moroni taught the same principle using the same metaphor:
When ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you…be unfolded in the eyes of all the people.
Ether 4:15-16
We must open our mind and our heart to receive the knowledge God wants to share. Here’s a blog post on that topic:
2. Disciples of Christ seek reconciliation with others.
All relationships have ups and downs. We may feel a rift developing in a relationship, or that rift may have widened into a chasm. We may wonder if some of our relationships can ever be healed. They can, but it might take time. In the meantime, make sure that the other person always knows you love them.
“I wrote unto you with many tears,” said Paul, “not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have abundantly toward you” (2 Corinthians 2:4).
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about healing broken relationships. One of my readers asked how to heal a relationship when the other person doesn’t want it to be healed?
In response I wrote a post about patiently finding ways to show love over time, participating in what Paul called “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Here is that post:
3. The time to repent is now.
King David and the prophet Isaiah both wrote about “an acceptable time” to reach out to God, meaning a time when He would be open to our pleadings and willing to provide help. (See Psalm 69:13, Isaiah 49:8, 1 Nephi 21:8.)
The apostle Paul references this hope, but then provides the following reassurance: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Which reminds me of Amulek’s declaration, “Now is the time and the day of your salvation” (Alma 34:31).
God is always ready to answer our prayers and help us change. His “acceptable time” is right now. Here’s a blog post on that topic:
4. Godly sorrow motivates repentance.
How can you tell if your sorrow is helpful or harmful? One indication, according to Paul, is the action that it motivates. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance,” he said, “…but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
The prophet Mormon saw an example of unproductive sorrow among his people. As their society began to unravel and as they simultaneously faced a formidable enemy, he saw them beginning to mourn their circumstances. This gave him hope at first, because he thought it would lead to positive change. “But behold this my joy was vain,” he wrote, “for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but is was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin” (Mormon 2:13).
The cause of both kinds of sorrow may be the same. Our response makes the difference. It’s godly sorrow if we let it motivate positive action.
Here’s a blog post on this topic:
Blog Posts: September 12-16
Rending That Veil
After descending from Sinai, Moses had to wear a veil or the children of Israel would not come near him. Are we sometimes similarly hesitant to approach God? Moroni urged us to “rend that veil” which covers our heart.
“Changed into the Same Image”
As we focus on the Savior, trust in His grace, and strive to emulate Him, we gradually become more and more like Him. We may not notice the change from day to day, but little by little, we receive His image in our countenances.
Earthen Vessels
Jesus shines His light through us, but we are imperfect conduits of that light. Paul described that reality by saying, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels.” As a result, we ought to be patient with ourselves and with others as we do the best we can.
Fleshy Tables
How can we write God’s law in our hearts? (1) We can immerse ourselves in it, thinking and talking about it regularly. (2) We can increase our desire to obey it. (3) We can seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Out of Much Affliction
Three principles from Paul about suffering: 1. God loves us and will comfort us when we suffer. 2. Suffering can result in growth and progression with God’s help. 3. We can find joy when we suffer, particularly when we maintain an eternal perspective.
Godly Sorrow
Godly sorrow looks to the future with hope, motivating us to act. Worldly sorrow looks to the past and wallows in despair. We should welcome experiences which motivate us to do better, and we should avoid letting negative experiences drag us down.
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