Charity Sufferth Long

[clbent04]

Something I think about quite often is how I can provide the greatest service and value to others.

What do I need to do to really make a meaningful difference in someone else’s life?

Does mowing my neighbor’s grass one time do the job? What about spending that one day at the food bank to help pack food for the homeless? What about befriending an investigator of the church up until the point they stop coming to church and no longer show signs of progress towards baptism? 

I believe more often than not, achieving true meaningful difference in someone’s life requires serving them over a long period of time. Service that requires putting their priorities above your own to let them know you genuinely care and love them.

An answer I like to making a meaningful difference is to begin with charity.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

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.

One of my favorite examples of charity is illustrated through Ammon and his interaction with the Lamanites and King Lamoni.

Ammon didn’t come charging out of the gates inviting King Lamoni and his people to learn about his religion. He first got to know them. He first served them without asking for anything in return. He selflessly promoted someone else’s agenda, and never made it about him.

Ammon’s converting of King Lamoni and the Lamanite people wasn’t quick and easy. He served day in and day out for a long period of time performing menial and mundane tasks while receiving little recognition doing it. But over time he became known as a good steward in the position he was assigned, and was trusted, respected, and even revered by the Lamanites after having cut off the arms of the thieves.

The quote comes to mind that people don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care. Ammon did such a great job setting an example about caring for others.

One of the challenges I see we face in the modern world today is how quick everything moves. Technology really has changed us. People don’t slow down as much as they used to and we tend to busy ourselves more easily with technology like smartphones. We want instant results and immediate payback for our invested time. Everything seems to be changing to instant gratification.  How many of us are slowing down our lives so we can have opportunities like Ammon did to truly make a meaningful differences in the lives of others?

This forum is a good place to start to try and make a difference. But interacting behind the curtain of anonymity with other internet users has its limitations. It’s largely impersonal, albeit it’s a positive community.

If we all took the plunge like Ammon did and became full-time missionaries I’m sure more opportunities to make meaningful differences would pop up. But balancing our 40-50 hour work weeks on top of everything else is tricky. I for one would like to manage my time better and my approach to making a positive difference in the lives of others. 

Edited December 1, 2018 by clbent04

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Great post.  In the recent Women's Conference, Pres. Nelson encouraged the women/girls to develop our spiritual gifts like we never have before (paraphrased obviously.)  The Gift of Charity is a spiritual gift that is available to all.  In fact, wasn't it Paul that said if we don't have charity we are nothing?   

Reading your post, helped me think about charity and how we can work to develop this gift.  It is a gift, and therefore we can't "earn" it, but at the same time, we won't receive it simply by asking.  I think that we need to both ask for this gift, and then get out there and serve as Ammon did.  

I have found that if you let the Lord know that your desire is to serve Him, to be an instrument in His hands to help others, He will fill your "cup" to overflowing.  The field is ready to harvest.  I'm not referring to missionary work here, but simply our opportunities to be ministering angles, under guidance of the Lord, to our spiritual brothers and sisters. 

[Traveler]

My parents taught that a kind or charitable person is not defined by being kind and charitable when it is expected, desired and appreciated.  Rather a kind and charitable person is kind and charitable even (and especially) when it is not expected, desired or appreciated.

 

The Traveler

Edited November 25, 2018 by Traveler

[clbent04]

3 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

The Gift of Charity is a spiritual gift that is available to all.  In fact, wasn't it Paul that said if we don't have charity we are nothing?   

Yes, exactly. None of us are excluded from being about to develop the spiritual gift of charity. I can develop charity if I am willing to let the Lord work with and through me.

These last few years I continue having the same thought that seems to be impressing itself upon me more and more. There is strong a correlation between having charity and making a meaningful difference in someone’s life.

3 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

[Charity] is a gift, and therefore we can't "earn" it, but at the same time, we won't receive it simply by asking.  I think that we need to both ask for this gift, and then get out there and serve as Ammon did.  

Good point. It’s really the light of Christ that moves our hearts and elevates us to these higher levels of selflessness and sacrifice, nothing we can do on our own as natural man. 

3 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I have found that if you let the Lord know that your desire is to serve Him, to be an instrument in His hands to help others, He will fill your "cup" to overflowing.  The field is ready to harvest.  I'm not referring to missionary work here, but simply our opportunities to be ministering angles, under guidance of the Lord, to our spiritual brothers and sisters. 

Yes, excellent point. I feel like you really get what I’m trying to say. Completely agree with you that there is so much work to be done, and the Lord will put us to work when we are ready and willing. And the work that needs to be done isn’t just handing out Book of Mormons. It’s not just doing an occasional good deed for someone in need with no long-term commitment to their well being.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes that one simple act of service really does make a difference especially when someone in need is at an inflection point in their life. They hit a fork in the road and can either go left or right and sometimes just need a small nudge to get them going in the best direction for their well being. 

And like you quoted, the field is ready to harvest with so many opportunities to be ministering angels! Both directly and indirectly related to sharing the gospel. But then again, if sharing the gospel simply comes down to bringing others closer to Christ, then even just being a good friend helps form the basis for that. 

Edited November 25, 2018 by clbent04

[mordorbund]

6 hours ago, clbent04 said:

Something I think about quite often is how I can provide the greatest service and value to others.

What do I need to do to really make a meaningful difference in someone else’s life?

You can turn this crank.

[lostinwater]

1 hour ago, Traveler said:

My parents taught that a kind or charitable person is not defined by being kind and charitable when it is expected, desired and appreciated.  Rather a kind and charitable person is kind and charitable even (and especially) when it is not expected, desired or appreciated.

 

The Traveler

That's beautifully said.  Thank-you.

[Grunt]

3 hours ago, Traveler said:

My parents taught that a kind or charitable person is not defined by being kind and charitable when it is expected, desired and appreciated.  Rather a kind and charitable person is kind and charitable even (and especially) when it is not expected, desired or appreciated.

 

The Traveler

I heard a great talk from an RM this morning.  He had a tough companion that he didn't get along with.  One morning after an argument he caught the companion shining his shoes.  Turns out, whenever they argued the companion would shine the missionary's shoes for him behind his back.  His reason?   Through service we learn to love those we serve.  

This missionary would have never known how hard his companion was working to live him if he hadn't caught him.  As you can imagine, the relationship changed that day. 

[JohnsonJones]

2 hours ago, Grunt said:

I heard a great talk from an RM this morning.  He had a tough companion that he didn't get along with.  One morning after an argument he caught the companion shining his shoes.  Turns out, whenever they argued the companion would shine the missionary's shoes for him behind his back.  His reason?   Through service we learn to love those we serve.  

This missionary would have never known how hard his companion was working to live him if he hadn't caught him.  As you can imagine, the relationship changed that day. 

I am terrible, but when my shoes got scuffed, that seems like a great way to get them shined!!!

 

More seriously though, that sounds like it probably could be a good idea.  When having disagreements to instead redirect one's thoughts to trying to find ways to express love (or the pure love of Christ) towards that individual through service probably helps gets an individuals minds more focused on the spirit and how the Lord would have us act.

Edited November 25, 2018 by JohnsonJones

[anatess2]

On 11/25/2018 at 5:32 AM, clbent04 said:

If we all took the plunge like Ammon did and became full-time missionaries I’m sure more opportunities to make meaningful differences would pop up. But balancing our 40-50 hour work weeks on top of everything else is tricky. I for one would like to manage my time better and my approach to making a positive difference in the lives of others. 

40-50 hour work weeks don't need to "balance' with charity.  Charity is not just a "Do".  Charity is a "Be".  So, work is not a hindrance to Charity.

So, what's the best way to Be in Charity?  Make yourself into a Good person then put yourself in a position of influence to spread that goodness.  If you're at work 40-50 hours of every week, then you got 40-50 hours of opportunities to influence people for good at your workplace.  The rest of the time you got over a hundred hours of putting yourself in a position of influence for good somewhere else.  Yes, even while you sleep - you are either putting yourself in a position of influence (getting enough rest to be ready for the next day) or hampering yourself from that position of influence (not getting enough sleep, or going to bed when you're fighting with your spouse, etc.) waking up unprepared for the new day.

Edited November 26, 2018 by anatess2