Waves by the wind are blown to and fro.
Taking no stand, they just go with the flow.
Wobbly souls, like waves, too are tossed.
And God’s choicest blessings, that is the cost.

For steady obedience is an absolute must,
Before God can fully bestow His trust.
For though He loves all, He trusts very few;
So the question then is: can God trust you?

If you are uncertain, then today take a stand;
Stop your wavering and grab heaven’s hand.
When God gives a task then go, follow through!
And soon you’ll discover that God will trust you.

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It is opening exercises for Young Men and Young Women’s.  We have finished all the business but one thing.  Mariah then says, “Okay, everybody stand to recite the theme.”  It is a new year and a new theme.  This year it is the famous scripture that sparked the first vision.  We all stand and recite:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”  (James 1:5-6).

As a returned missionary I have read verse five many times.  Even though verse six comes right after five (weird, I know), I somehow seem to have missed the full impact of it all these years.  I hurry and file this thought away because youth are now dismissing, and I have a group of fourteen/fifteen year old boys to round up (akin to herding feral cats).

A few weeks later, I am again with the young men at a special fireside with Elder D. Todd Christofferson.  He is taking questions from the audience.  Someone asks how they can feel God’s love.  Elder Christofferson answers the question and then says something to the effect, “God will always love you.  No matter what you do, He will always love you.  He can’t stop loving you.  But here is a question, can He trust you?  God loves everyone, but He can trust very few.”  Wow!  That reminds me of the scripture, “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen.  And why are they not chosen?  Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men” (D&C 121:34-35).

Later that night I was pondering:  Who can God trust?  Why can he trust so few?  Why are we so wishy washy?  How can I be better?  I remembered one of the favorite saying from my district president in the MTC, “Work will win when wishy washy wishing won’t.”  How do we win God’s trust?  By our works, our actions, our commitment to follow him, by following Nephi’s example to “go and do” when the Lord commands.  Resolve, consistency, dependability—these are key.  Then came the mutual theme flooding back to my mind and that newly discovered verse six.  As we waver in our commitment to God, we are like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed.  God cannot trust us if we are always being washed around so easily by the contrary winds of life.

Then echoing back into my mind came Elder Christofferson’s question, “Can God trust you?”

Written: January 28, 2016