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Colleen C. Harrison

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You are here: Home / LDS 12 Step / Feelings You Can’t Choose Your Way Out Of

Feelings You Can’t Choose Your Way Out Of

May 6, 2018 • 1 Comment

So many people tell us that we can just choose or will-power our way out of negative feelings. That may be true for some, but I have to admit that I have experienced feelings that persisted no matter how hard I tried to not “choose” them, or that  returned the instant I stopped whatever I was doing to avoid them.

It has taken me down into the depths of humility to finally admit I have negative feelings that I can’t exert enough will-power to eliminate from my heart. This is when I realized that I had done all that I could do, and that I had come to the end of myself. I had hit the end of my rope.

In the original 12 Step program expression: I had hit a bottom. In other words, I had lost the ability to simply choose.

In LDS gospel expression: I had forfeited my agency.

This is when I finally realized that I needed Jesus Christ to be “my Jesus,” just as Nephi had taught me I could call my Savior. (1) Only in and through Him can I find salvation from the negative (lie-based) feelings that I cannot will away or pretend away. (2)

(1) 2 Nephi 33:6

(2) Mosiah 3:17

 

Filed Under: LDS 12 Step, The Lord Jesus Christ

Comments

  1. Phil Harrison says

    May 7, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    Thanks for posting this, Colleen. I agree. I find there are times when the only way I can get out of negative feelings is with divine help. Sometimes I ask the Lord to send me the Holy Ghost (“The Comforter”{) when I need comforting. It is true that the Lord is willing to give us much more help if we just ask Him.

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