The Motions

There's something I often hear said in church meetings and spiritual thoughts that sounds to me a lot like nails on a chalkboard.
"It's not enough just to go through the motions."

Sometimes it is.

Moses was given the 10 Commandments with which to guide the Israelites. Today we have set of 15 questions with which to gauge our own personal worthiness. These are the basic requirements for righteous living. Sure it's great to "go the extra mile" when we can. But the thing about that extra mile is that if it was a requirement, it wouldn't be "extra."

Please don't misunderstand. I don't mean to say that we shouldn't be doing all that we can to help those around us and be the best Christians we can be. But I've definitely had times in my life when all I could do was go through the motions. I've seen it in the lives of people I love. We are promised in the scriptures that "all we can do" is enough.

I may not always be a saint, but during times when my emotional stamina is running low, I can go to church. I can say my prayers. I can do what I need day-to-day to get along. I can keep the commandments. I can stay worthy. Sometimes the least we can do is also the most we can do, and during those times I believe that it's enough.