No, I was never a little white kid.

When I was a little kid (OK, I was never a "little kid"), when I was just a wee lad, I didn't really listen to my parents. As a consequence, I would get in trouble, a lot. In school, at home, at church, everywhere. I realized early on that if I did what my parents said, there were two possible outcomes:

1. I could possibly get some money as allowance for being a "Good Boy"
2. I didn't get into trouble and get "grounded"

Now I see many other reasons to listen to and apply what my parents dish out to me.

1. They are more experienced (haha, I just called them old!) in life than I am. When it comes to enduring life's challenges and overcoming them, they have me beat.  
2. They love me. They want what is best for me and they don't want to lead me astray. The motivation for them imparting their wisdom to me is that they want me to be the best person I can be.
3. Very simply, they want me to be happy.

I have discovered that there are more positive consequences than just a mere monetary increase or not getting into trouble when I follow the guidance of my parental unit.  I have also come to follow their advice because I love them and want to show my love by trusting them and listening and acting on what they say. I have been blessed incredibly by heeding their counsel. What a concept!

The same is true with the Man upstairs. Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy. He has given us a plan that we can follow to find true happiness. He knows what we need. Through experience, I have come to learn that if I do what He says and follow His counsel, I don't get into trouble. On the other hand, when I go against what He says, I suffer the consequences of disobedience and get spiritually "grounded". Heavenly Father knows exactly what it is that we need to do to be happy. He doesn't force this on us. He invites us to test out His ways and to learn by our own experiences if His way is the way to happiness.  Over time, we will learn that He loves us and that His way is a path of joy amidst challenges. We learn to follow Him because we trust and love Him.

To learn how you can find more peace and happiness, click HERE.