I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (1 Nephi 1:20; emphasis added)

Abstinence is not a result of anything I do.  It is a result of the Lord making me powerful even unto deliverance, due to my faith in Him.

This does not mean that I affirm my faith in Him and then go figure out how to muster up the power to abstain correctly.

What it means is that I have faith in Christ. Period. I turn to Him in all things. I give Him the main focus of my mental attentions and functions. As I do this, He can then begin to make me mighty. HE gives me the power to abstain from my addictive or self-defeating, potentially self-destructive behaviors.

Can you remember a time when focusing on Christ blessed you with deliverance? Please share your experience in the comments.

~Colleen H.

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