The four most comforting words: The. Lord. Loves. Effort.

The four most comforting words: The. Lord. Loves. Effort.

I expect a lot of myself. I expect myself to set goals, work hard, and find a way to reach them. I expect myself to perform well and succeed. I hold myself to a higher standard than I hold others.

And yet, sometimes I fall short😔 I’m human. So the Lord continues to teach and remind me that I don’t have to be perfect on my own. That He and I are a team.

When President Russell M. Nelson shared these four profound words in 2020, I was struck. “The Lord loves effort” became my mantra, my theme. It was my go-to answer as I worked to improve myself, chatted with friends about our lives, and spoke to other young single adults as part of my stake calling.

I am by no means perfect, but I’m striving. I’m trying. I’m doing my best, and my best may look different on different days. It may look different than your best.

But the beauty is in the effort, in the striving. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can become perfect. We can become whole. We can return to live with our Father in Heaven.

How have you seen the rewards of putting forth effort in your life? What effort did you make?