"A More Excelent Way"

Over two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul speaking to the Church in Corinth wrote a letter to them explaining that they ought to seek all of the gifts of the Spirit. He taught that they should seek the gift of tongues and interpreting those that spoke in a different tongue, to seek prophecy and revelation, but at the end of the 12th chapter in 1 Corinthians he states, "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."

The very next chapter he explains the more excellent way. He says, "1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away..."

 

In other words we must come to posses Charity. The charity in which Paul speaks of is not gifting money or an organization but it is a state of being. We have to posses this attribute if we are truly to become more like our Leader. We who call ourselves Christians have to be more kind and loving and patient in enduring the trails of this life. We have to be more willing to sacrifice for the good of others.

 

I was moved in church a few weeks back by a sermon from a sister so much so that I'm still thinking about it. She related an experience of gratitude for something that I often take for granted, shelter. She had such an experience that moved her to want to extend her blessings to others and challenged us to find ways to serve our fellow brothers and sisters who are less fortunate than us. If you look around you daily you will begin to see that there are indeed those who are less fortunate than you.

 

There are those that are in your life or who may cross your path who are simply in need of a little love and support. Pray for ways to serve, and then have the courage to act when the prayer is answered. We are taught that most often God answers the prayer of others through us. We are HIS hands!

 

I echo the words of Joseph Smith, "If we would secure and cultivate the love of others, we must love others, even our enemies as well as friends. … Christians should cease wrangling and contending with each other, and cultivate the principles of union and friendship in their midst."

 

I too must work on being a little more kind and patient. Often the person who choses not to believe in a god does so because of the world in which we live. They say, "how would a loving god allow such things to happen?" Rightly so they should ask, and it is not enough for us to say, "because of free will", but we should use our free will to change what we can. We have been given power to love.

 

Let us truly follow Jesus by doing what he did, serve and love. That should be our gift to HIM this season.

"The Love of Many Shall Wax Cold"

In one of Jesus' last sermons to His Apostles He explained that many calamities would befall the people living in that time. While I was reading a little today, one of those calamities stood out that I'd read before, but never to touch me as it did. Of all the things that we would see in our time the withdrawal of love of fellow men is the most dangerous. Matthew 24:12 "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

Can you imagine that after a great earthquake people of the world would just leave the victims to find a way to heal themselves and to rebuild there lives with the rubble that surrounds them? Or when we cease to find horror in the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in senseless wars or acts of terrorism?
We can clearly see this is taking place in much of our national and private discourse. It is ever present in our bashing of other's religious beliefs and our ideals that somehow God loves us more than others because we have a little more material security.

I know that myself at times fall victim to a lack of love and patience especially with those that I care for and love the most. We are taught often that nothing will change in our world until we change our families.

Though we know that many people's love and faith may falter ours does not have to. If we are to call ourselves disciples of the Son of God we have to be more patient and loving. We have to be the salt of the Earth to save it from itself. I ask you to seek to be a better brother, sister, neighbor, Disciple! Let us share His love with those who need it most.