ther·a·py; noun; mid 19th century: from modern Latin therapia, from Greek therapeia ‘healing’, from therapeuein ‘minister to, treat medically’.
Jesus is the best counselor out there. He is the best healer out there. He is the best minister out there.
So, why does it seem that His teachings are not always the solution to my mental and emotional needs?
Or, maybe they are?
Maybe I've just been looking at them from one angle? Not the wrong angle, but just one angle.
Maybe by looking at Christ's teachings in a different way, I could see where the gospel of Jesus Christ really does hold the solutions to my needs?
Jesus' Expectations
Luke 2:52: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
3 Nephi 27:27: Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.
Matthew 5:48: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
D&C 93:12-13: And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;
How do these expectations make you feel?
How have you dealt with these expectations in the past? How are you dealing with them now?
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "The scriptures were written to bless and encourage us, and surely they do that. We thank heaven for every chapter and verse we have ever been given. But have you noticed that every now and then a passage will appear that reminds us we are falling a little short? For example, the Sermon on the Mount begins with soothing, gentle beatitudes, but in the verses that follow, we are told—among other things—not only not to kill but also not even to be angry. We are told not only not to commit adultery but also not even to have impure thoughts. To those who ask for it, we are to give our coat and then give our cloak also. We are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to them who hate us.
"If that is your morning scripture study, and after reading just that far you are pretty certain you are not going to get good marks on your gospel report card, then the final commandment in the chain is sure to finish the job: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father … in heaven is perfect.” With that concluding imperative, we want to go back to bed and pull the covers over our head. Such celestial goals seem beyond our reach. Yet surely the Lord would never give us a commandment He knew we could not keep." October 2017 General Conference
Jesus Gets "It"
Elder Patrick Kearon of the Seventy: "You are a survivor, you can heal, and you can trust that with the power and grace of Jesus Christ, you will overcome and conquer.
"Jesus specializes in the seemingly impossible. He came here to make the impossible possible, the irredeemable redeemable, to heal the unhealable, to right the unrightable, to promise the unpromisable. And He’s really good at it. In fact, He’s perfect at it." April 2022 General Conference
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters—mental or emotional or physical or otherwise—do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind." October 2013 General Conference
Elder Russell M. Nelson: "When comparing one’s personal performance with the supreme standard of the Lord’s expectation, the reality of imperfection can at times be depressing. My heart goes out to conscientious Saints who, because of their shortcomings, allow feelings of depression to rob them of happiness in life.
"We all need to remember: men are that they might have joy—not guilt trips! We also need to remember that the Lord gives no commandments that are impossible to obey." October 1995 General Conference
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "Brothers and sisters, every one of us aspires to a more Christlike life than we often succeed in living. If we admit that honestly and are trying to improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human. May we refuse to let our own mortal follies, and the inevitable shortcomings of even the best men and women around us, make us cynical about the truths of the gospel, the truthfulness of the Church, our hope for our future, or the possibility of godliness. If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete—which is the New Testament meaning of perfection." October 2017 General Conference
MAYBE You'RE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK
CAse Studies
Joe just finished his mission three months ago. Before his mission, Joe was a pretty good kid. He earned good grades, enough to earn a scholarship to college. He is hoping to become an engineer someday. He wants to excel in his schoolwork so he can keep his scholarship and then get a good-paying job someday. He tried to be kind to others and was raised to be respectful and courteous. Joe has always wanted to choose the right, but when he ever made a mistake by maybe saying something mean to or about someone else, Joe always felt really badly. As a missionary, Joe was obedient. He learned that the more obedient he was, the more he had the Spirit with him. Joe is his own worst critic, though. He has thoughts like, "I'll never be good enough" or "Why do I keep making the same mistake over and over again?" go through his head. As he's now starting college, Joe has a huge fear of making mistakes and not being "perfect". He fears that when he starts dating, women will see his flaws and that he'll never be good enough to get married.
Courtney feels like she will never be pretty enough, poised enough, funny enough, witty enough, athletic enough, sincere enough, loving enough, etc. Courtney just looks in the mirror and sees failure. Courtney has a great sense of humor and is usually smiling and laughing when she's with friends and family. Courtney is one of the first people others think of when they want to hang out with someone who is fun and will listen. Courtney is rarely asked out on dates and has never seriously dated a man. She does ok in school, but has changed majors 5 times. She likes her job as an elementary school classroom aide and the 3rd graders love Courtney.
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