As this morning unfolded, I bounced back and forth from doing the best I could to move forward the books on which I'm working and being overwhelmed by God.
Perhaps one of the best ways we can celebrate the love that God gives us is to show that same love to those who have no ability to repay us.
One facet of what overwhelms me is the sheer magnitude and depth of his love, and how little of it is perceived or valued in this world, even by those who profess to believe in him.
And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men. (1 Nephi 19:9)
God's love exceeds anything here. It extends so far beyond what is known in the world and what is shown by the world.
Worship of Christ at this time of year tends to focus on the Lord's suffering in crucifixion. It's a wonderful thing to contemplate. Truly, the Lord's experience on the cross is a testament to the love of God. I know that Jesus died on the cross, because he showed it to me in vision. I have as much confidence in that event as I would if I were there in the flesh. I revere him and honor him for what he did in that time. Thinking about what he did for us gives me strength to endure hard things I would not otherwise do, and to trust him more than I otherwise would. It helps me to help others beyond what I would otherwise do.
As great a manifestation of God's love as his manner of death was, the love of God far exceeds what most people think of when they think of his crucifixion. But these things are harder for us to see than something so visceral as crucifixion. The challenge is that it is extraordinarily difficult to communicate things of a higher level to and through a lower level. It's like explaining the value of Shakespeare to a worm.
If we want to more fully see and appreciate God's love, we must come to know God better through becoming more like him.
Perhaps the most direct way we become more like him is to follow his example in giving of himself for the benefit of others, especially those who do cannot know what it costs, and who can't pay him back.
Perhaps one of the best ways we can celebrate the love that God gives us is to show that same love to those who have no ability to repay us.
There are always opportunities to help those around us, but it is good to consider the relative need of those who might not live directly around us, and ponder the responsibility we have to do the greatest good with our limited resources.
There are many in this world who do not have access to the opportunities that we enjoy in the nations in which we reside. There are those who are truly destitute.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25)
There are many organizations which facilitate convenient ways you can support the less fortunate. Please consider finding one and supporting those who would benefit from your assistance.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)