Why do I serve?
Sometimes it truly is because I see someone is in need and I genuinely want to help them because they are a person. But only sometimes. Other times I skip over an opportunity to serve because it is inconvenient or time-consuming. But that shouldn't be so.
I want to look at the Savior's example of service. Why did He serve? And emulate that.
- This should always be the first reason: out of pure love of Christ. Because I feel charity and want to show them charity because they are my brothers and sisters and we have the same Heavenly Father. Because through me they will learn to feel the love that Heavenly Father has for them.
- To open up opportunities to share the gospel and bring people closer to Christ.
The reason number 1 should be number 1 is because in the case the number 2 fails, number 1 will always be intact, no matter what. And number 1 will always supersede. Sometimes someone isn't ready for the gospel yet, and that doesn't mean my service is in vain in light of number 2; hopefully they will remember the service in the future when they are closer to receiving the gospel.... But even if they never accept the gospel in this life, number 1, again, is always intact. It's also important to keep in mind that number 2 isn't selfish. Like PMG says on page 169: "In every way you serve, you should do so because you love your brothers and sisters and therefore hope, pray, and earnestly desire to teach them the restored gospel." So my desire to serve someone in order to help them have a softer heart and be more prepared to listen o the message of the gospel isn't selfish. What is selfish is if they don't accept the message and I lose my desire to serve them because of that. In those cases, I must simply focus on number 1.
I'm now going to read Luke 6 and see what motives of service of Christ I can pick out.
- Lend to and love your enemies, hoping nothing in return. (Luke 6:35)
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