“Developing spirituality and attuning ourselves to the highest influences of godliness is not an easy matter. It takes time and frequently involves a struggle. It will not happen by chance, but is accomplished only through deliberate effort and by calling upon God and keeping his commandments.
The place to begin is here. The time to start is now. The length of our stride need be but one step at a time. God, who has, “designed our happiness,” will lead us along even as little children, and we will by that process approach perfection.”
President Howard W. Hunter, “Developing Spirituality”, General Conference, April 1979
Many times, I get discouraged that I am not where I would like to be on the spiritual scale. It’s difficult to get into spiritual shape, as it were. Much like getting into physical shape, it takes diligent exercise, eating right, avoiding foods that are not so good, and drinking a lot water. It does not happen overnight. Rather, over a long, long period of time. Getting into shape requires time. Undoing all your hard work happens immediately.
The same process occurs in the spiritual realm. We must be diligent in our exercise. Study the scriptures daily. Listen to the words of the prophets and apostles, and general auxiliary. Read good books. We must eat right. Whatever we put into our minds must be wholesome and inspiring. Avoid spiritual foods that detract from our progress. We must drink constantly of the water of life. Revelation 21:6.
It’s a neverending battle between the forces of good and evil. Between laziness and motivation. Between happiness and sadness. Opposition is in everything. We need to be on the positive end of the spectrum, in other words, have a lot in our spiritual bank accounts. So that when a withdrawal is made, we have enough to cover it. If our account is already negative, things only get worse as fees are charged and digression spirals quickly. Making deposits constantly is the way to spiritual success.
We can sit still and let the bad win. Or, we can get up and do the work to achieve the good, then more work to achieve the better, then 110% to achieve the best. Interesting thing that it requires nothing, 0%, on our part to waste away into oblivion. But it requires everything we have to achieve eternal life. Good news is that everything we have is enough.