Good Friday Thoughts…

Cognitive Dissonance is a term used in psychology when something is not ringing ‘true’.

I ran across the term, again, last week while preparing a persuasive speaking assignment, for a business communications class. (it’s been a couple years now, but I did, truly, love my Psychology 101 class!) My topic was on Organization. The pursuasion would be for turning chaos to calm. I found boo-coo information by googling those key words. I drew a lot of my supporting informatin from, lifeorganizers.com, which listed '5 Rules for Life Organization'. Rule # 4, the one that brought this term back to my rememberance - hit home with me. It said:

• Your life should be consistent in make up
• What’s called “Cognitive Dissonanceâ€� in psychology, can be a bad thing if you don't recognize it for what it is and take action to resolve the dissonance.
• Example - If you're living somewhere that you don't want to live, with someone that you don't want to live with, doing something you don't want to do - well do you need to go any farther to find out why you feel miserable most of the time?
• Another, more personal, example: I worked for manager that wanted me to lie to my team members, other employees and customers. I don't lie. I can't stand it. It makes me feel sick inside. That manager consistantly broke the rules of operation given, in this firm's employee handbook. I filed reports and ... ultimately I quit that job. I was in a lead position myself. I could not sustain that kind of leadership. Staying meant that's exactly what I would be doing. Some people might have been too afraid of the unknown (how will I pay my bills with out this job?) to walk away, but I absolutely knew I was doing the right thing and all would work out eventually. Instead of feeling trapped in something I knew was wrong for me - I saw opportunity to be FREE to find what was the RIGHT thing for me! I was rewarded with many great blessings I'd have never enjoyed otherwise. It still stands as one of the best life decisions I’ve made to this day. That was a couple years ago, and I'm still reaping the rewards!

This term, cognitive dissonance, came to mind again, in Relief Society last Sunday, in the form of a thought provoking question, introduced during our classroom discussion. AND!!!! -> it's come to mind, several times, throughout this passing week... doh! -> I'm digressing... back to the Sunday meeting & discussion: The lesson we were reviewing was on The Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The question was… did Christ have a choice… ?

• What if Christ had decided, in Gethsemane, NOT to seek His Father’s will?
• Not to put God first, at that point in His life?
• He could have ‘cut and run’!
• What if Christ had decided to pass, on the bitter cup, and say, in His heart, to His Heavenly Father, “I don’t care what Your will is! I just can’t do this!â€�
• Surely He had that choice???

As I said, since I’d just worked with it, this term, Cognitive Dissonance came to mind – and I mentioned it to our group, saying, that I figure by the time Christ got to Gethsemane, He didn’t have it in Him to be turned in His course, nor did I feel He had it in him to make any other choice. The ‘Cognitive dissonance’ would have been too dissuasive for Him! – nothing else would have rang true to His being. Still the scriptures say, it crossed his mind...(see ST. MARK 14:36)

How can one walk so perfectly close, in obedience with God, and then turn fearfully away? – in the very moment in time, when that relationship is THE ONLY thing you have to bare you up, and see you through it all? It doesn’t ring true does it? Christ, then, immediately defers to what he understands to be, His Father's will, for Him.

And, to all who would ponder the Atonement of Jesus Christ, how poignant an example, to NOT just have a belief, but truly to have obtained to a perfect faith, complete trust, and a sure knowledge of God. And in relationship, we see then - God's love and majesty, magnified, working in, through, and 'round about this 'Only Begotten' one.

A lesser choice does not ring true in our hearts when we study the gospels about the Lord, Jesus Christ and His life’s work, up to that point of total commitment. (which is what I see when I look into Gethsemane’s Garden; the remainder ordeal of betrayals, trials, beatings, ridicules, stress, and distresses, up to and including, crucifixion – all seemingly more like follow through, to me. IMHO) AND, opting a lesser choice, doesn’t bear sway, for Saints of yore, nor in these latter days, in what we’ve found true, in the risen Lord – hence.

Cognitive dissonance. . . indicator, perhaps, in lessons to be learned for progression. Can one obtain a to a full measure of what they were meant to be - without it?

I feel that my God, who is love, would want us to ponder and pay close attention to that term in relationship to how we might best live out our lives. I know now, that I certainly need to - in order to be of better service to Him.

I’ve known this disquiet. That feeling of disharmony, and mismatch in relationship to spirit, personality and endeavors. I'm not always as brave as I'd like to be. Tisk. I have not always recognized it for what it is - I've sometimes seen it as the road to chaos. When often times it's been the Fog Horn to calm. It’s my heart of hearts signaling, warning, that I'm in dangerous waters giving allowances to direction that’s contrary to what God would have me go and do. =)

How important is Christ's Atonement in my life? I have a testimony. Faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit [including personal revelation], testing -for surety, stregnth and endurance, redeemtion, service, transfiguration...sweet communion through prayer. There is no cognitive dissonance in that, for me. . . - just in the way my shortcomings and transgressions play off against eternal truths.

I aint what I'm gonna be. I aint what I oughta be. But, thank God, I aint what I used to be!

In closing, some scriptures from ST JOHN Chapter 14 come to mind:

• Verse 1 – Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
• …vs. 6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
• …vs. 15 – If ye love me, keep my commandments. <-(emphasis added. lol!)
• …vs. 21 – He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. And…
• … vs 27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

And at parting – a way to keep cognitive dissonance firmly at bay, perhaps, outlined in this scripture from the Book of Mormon:

• Mosiah 2:41 – And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

This Good Friday, I’d be remiss if I did not stand by my covenants & testimony – unashamed, and in all soberness -I bear, a solemn witness, to all who pass this way - of the Lord, Jesus. He is the Christ. He LIVES! And through His great love, He has done so very much for me! He is my Master, and my Commander, He is my brave Redeemer, in whom I know and fully trust. He is my Prophet, Priest and King. He is my ever living Head. (He's the one 'running the show' - in my life - at any rate! Big smile!)
I leave these things with you, my witness, and my testimony of His divinity, in His holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen ~