This week we taught 14 lessons, had 4 church attendances, (5 if you count a former friend who randomly showed up?), and Asaumi-san still highly desires to be baptized this Sunday. That’s a super awesome week for Japan! God is so good, and His goodness is for all who sincerely seek Him through Jesus Christ with a desire to change.
Asaumi-san always wears a FamilySearch pendant at Church that a member gave her two weeks ago. It always melts my heart because she goes “綺麗でしょう” which just means “Pretty, right?” It’s a little funny because she hasn’t really learned what FamilySearch is yet, but she really loves to learn everything about Jesus Christ and His gospel. I am so beyond excited to help her enter God’s fold and recieve eternal protection and love through the covenant of baptism.
This week, I read Elder Uchtdorf’s talk, Continue with Patience. God’s promises clearly come to those who are patient. Do not give up, they are always certain. We often cannot see the Lord’s hand in our lives often until it has passed. This talk tied into what I’ve been studying about charity, especially 1 Corinthians 13, this week. I love that scripture of Paul’s admonitions. Everything in life, or perhaps proper Christian living, points back to developing charity. If you do not seek to develop charity, everything, even faith, prophecy, and hope, is for naught. I interpreted the scripture as Paul saying that, though all other traits are extremely important, charity is the only trait that is truly eternal. But what exactly is charity? It is written succinctly in 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.
Particularly, I want to talk about how charity “suffereth long” and “beareth all things.” I often associate charity with the act of giving love. For example, service to others and love in the family. It is quite easy to say you love others, but when somebody wrongs you, is it easy to truly forgive? To find love deep within your heart? To recognize that they are just another person trying to find their path in this world?
I have not previously thought much about how endurance is crucial to the trait of charity. However, when you look at charity as the trait of God-like love, the importance of endurance is evident. God’s love for us does not stop. Even when we go contrary to His purposes for us and hurt ourselves in the process, He provided His Son for our strength and salvation. Change is not only possible, but made easier through the power of Jesus Christ. We truly can be deeply forgiven through the power of Jesus Christ. We can have infinitely many new beginnings through Him.
When we fall, we stand back up, we feel the ground with our feet, and we go forward. Then, we feel the protection promised by God as we keep His commandments for us as His children. Then finally, we feel the power of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and God’s love for all of His children propel us forward, beyond our own strength. Because God doesn’t stop loving you, neither does charity. Rely on the love He gives you, and do the best you can. When we feel we can only go so far, when we feel like we’ve exhausted the last of our fuel reserves, when our engine can’t run any more, Jesus Christ is there for us. Keep moving forward.
God has not failed you. He will not fail you.
I bear my testimony that God lives and loves you. Seek Him.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Son
(written last Monday but saved in draft[s. oops. Asaumi-san was baptized today! more on her tmrw.)
I am being blessed by your posts Thanks for what you are doing Eli