That must be what it is... I seem to have love on the brain lately. Everywhere I turn references to love keep popping up like subconcous reminders pulling it back to concious thought. Love is part of everyday discussions with friends and co-workers; I turn on my computer and the home page always has links to articles about love and romance; at night I open my scriptures for a little bedtime reading... and you wouldn't believe how often the book naturally falls open to Moroni 7:47.
But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever, and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
Awhile back I ofund a really good explanation of what this scripture means. A Meridian Magazine article broke charity, the pure love of Christ, down into three basic elements:
Love from Christ.
Love for Christ.
Love like Christ.
It went on further and gave an example of how to apply these elements to our dealing with someone we love (or want to).
I will wait with you
[while you're working through this current affliction].
I will wait for you
[to be ready to accept my love].
I will wait upon you
[by serving any needs you will let me to the best of my abilities].
A couple of other scriptures come to mind on this topic. Romans 13:10 says:
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
And Matthew 22:36-40, where the Pharisees were questioning Christ, says:
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two hang all the law and the prophets.
You may be wondering what all this has to do with our society's popular lotion of romantic love... and I say it has everything to do with it. People who put effort into developing and putting into practice this Christ-like charity are going to be, by their very nature, loving and forgiving. Experience says those are very important characteristics to just getting along and being happy with the people in your life. And many so called relationship experts say these are probably the two most important characteristics two people hoping to build an enduring marriage can have. For once, at least, they give good advice.
So how do we incorporate and show these qualities of Christ-like love into our daily lives? This is not an all inclusive list, but here are some of the things that I think of:
- Recognizing its need and importance to my happiness now and eventual salvation.
- Simply being a good and true friend.
- Repenting of my wrongdoings.
- Making forgiveness to those who grieve me unconditional.
- And in forgiving letting the grievance go rather than bringing it up again and again.
- Offering a sincere smile and greeting to those whose paths I cross.
- Listen. People will tell you through words and actions what they lack in their lives.
- Willing offer meaningful service to those in need.
- Graciously accept service offered by others for my own needs.
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