Salvation Our Goal, Prayer and Action Our Method

 

Dear Reader, 

About a year ago, I wrote some thoughts on Salvation as a goal in life. I suggested that Salvation comes through Prayer and Action. At the time, my ideas were not fully organized. Today, I’d like to clarify what I meant. 

We all struggle from time to time with life’s situations. For those of us in recovery, this is especially true. For years we drowned our feelings in alcohol or drugs. It didn’t matter whether the challenge was good or bad — the stream of life always felt too strong. The job seemed impossible, or the boss unfair. Spouses or family didn’t always understand the stress of keeping food on the table or raising children. At times it felt as though the current would pull us under at any moment. 

That is how I felt before I reached out for help — first in AA, and later by putting my faith in a Divine source. 

Malcolm Muggeridge once reminded us: “Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream.” Life is a journey against the current. I had to stop letting life simply happen to me and begin swimming as though my life depended on it. 

Demetri Martin once joked: “Swimming is a confusing sport, because sometimes you do it for fun, and other times you do it to not die.” That’s recovery in a nutshell. Sometimes it feels joyful, sometimes it feels like survival. At those moments when I wasn’t sure, I had to adjust — to change the stroke, so to speak — and keep going. 

I could not do this alone. I leaned on my sponsors, the fellowship of AA, the support of church members, and the wisdom of scripture. As Robert Collier said: “Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble… need only a bit of praise or encouragement — and we will make the goal.” That encouragement kept me afloat more times than I can count. 

Recovery also requires vision and courage. Michael Phelps put it well: “Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get.” When I stopped placing limits on what was possible, I began to dream again — of a new life in Christ, of recovery, of becoming more than I ever imagined. 

But willingness by itself was not enough. Bruce Lee reminds us: “Willing is not enough. We must do.” Recovery, like faith, is about action: prayer, service, living the commandments, and aligning ourselves daily with God’s will. These small daily actions make us stronger, one 24 hours at a time. 

Scripture promises us: “He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved” (2 Nephi 31:15). Salvation is not about perfection but persistence. Our prayers need not be flawless, only faithful. 

If recovery and salvation are your goals, then Prayer and Action are surely the method. And so I encourage anyone who feels overwhelmed today: swim with courage, lean on faith, and trust the One who strengthens us against every current. 

I write this in a spirit of truth and Jesus Christ,  
Amen.