Charity Never Faileth...
week 10
Charity never faileth.
But sometimes I do.
Sometimes the talk of Charity feels so nebulous and far removed.
Or it feels overwhelming and impossible.
Or maybe that’s me. But I’d like to imagine that we all struggle with charity…at least sometimes. It makes me feel better. Thanks for the validation I’m sure you’re sending my way.
We are taught that in scripture that charity is the “pure love of Christ.” (Moro. 7:47) We are also given the direction to seek after this love, have fill every fiber of our beings, and then it will be well with us.
So far, I’m not feeling any better, but…
Elder Max Caldwell breaks down charity into three categories. I’m a list kind of girl, so this immediately spoke to my sensibilities. I really loved how he describes the three different aspects of charity:
LOVE for CHRIST
The love for Christ is difficult to put into words. It’s so personal, intimate…it’s based on many small moments where I built my relationship with Jesus in the trenches of my soul. I found my love for Christ in the unswept corners, the darkened rooms, and the broken pieces of my life. You wouldn’t think that anything of value could grow from there, but when I let Christ into those spaces I am never let down. This first aspect of charity goes hand in hand with then next which is -
LOVE from CHRIST
“We love him, because he first loved us" (1 John 1: 19). This New Testament author completely understands. How can we not love Christ when we feel His love for us? The love from Christ is embodied by the supernal gift He offered to us – the Atonement. Caldwell tells us that this is a gift that must be received, not just acknowledged. The receipt of this gift changes us.
LOVE like CHRIST
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) The love of and for Christ is wonderful, transcendent. But it’s all for nothing if it doesn’t change the way we treat others.
“Charity is not just a precept or a principle, nor is it just a word to describe actions or attitudes. Rather, it is an internal condition that must be developed and experienced in order to be understood. We are possessors of charity when it is a part of our nature. People who have charity have a love for the Savior, have received of his love, and love others as he does.”
So, where does this fit in with real life?
When reading Gottman and Goddard, we look for the step by step process of changing our marriages/relationships. Their research and insight give us an excellent path to follow. But they both secularly (Gottman) and religiously (Goddard) point towards forgiveness, humility, and love as the key ingredients in any relationship.
The cultivation of deep abiding love being the pinnacle of desire – it seems to effortlessly point towards charity. I see connections with the love of Christ with the consecrated nature of marriage, especially covenant marriage in the temple. I see the connection with the love from Christ in our ability to forgive ourselves. And I see the connection with loving like Christ with our ability to be gracious to our loved ones and their rough edges.
I see direct tie-ins to the consecration, forgiveness, and pride. Charity is what changes us. It’s what puts the meaning behind the words, “I love you.” It adds depth, color and shade to our professions of love.
When charity feels overwhelming (yes, it does) maybe it’s an internal signal that we are not spending enough time on our relationship with Jesus Christ. When we are fostering that relationship our love of and for Christ will be nurtured and the natural fruits will be our ability to love like Christ.
So, maybe the answer is to lean in a littler closer to Christ.
Below is a link to Max Caldwell’s talk, “Love of Christ”
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