Three languages of gospel love:
- Warmth and reverence
- Service and sacrifice
- Covenant belonging
Christ knows us better and loves us more than we know or love ourselves.
Sometimes we need to know love spoken here is heard and appreciated here.
Sometimes if it is not hard and appreciated we have to find different ways to speak it.
Please, let us be understanding and kind as we learn new languages of love together. New at church, a convert was told her skirts were too short. Instead of taking offense, she replied, in effect, “My heart is converted; please be patient as my skirts catch up.”
That was a very mature response from the new convert.
Of course, the changing circumstances and seasons of our lives may affect our ability to serve, but hopefully never our desire.
Having felt the ache of not receiving calling for an extended period of time hopefully I will be sensitive to those who feel either useless or helpless.
Stake and ward leaders, let’s do our part. As we call (and release) brothers and sisters to serve in the Lord’s Church, let’s please do so with dignity and inspiration. Help each feel appreciated and that they can be successful.
I’m convinced that extending calling is one of the more challenging aspects of church leadership.
This summer, our family met wonderful Church members and friends in Loughborough and Oxford, England. These meaningful gatherings reminded me how ward social and service activities can build new and enduring gospel bonds. For some time I have felt that, in many places in the Church, a few more ward activities, of course planned and implemented with gospel purpose, could knit us together with even greater belonging and unity.
One inspired ward activities chair and committee nurtures individuals and a community of Saints. Their well-planned activities help everybody feel valued, included, and invited to play a needed role. Such activities bridge ages and backgrounds, create lasting memories, and can be carried out with little or no cost. Enjoyable gospel activities also invite neighbors and friends.
I have been thinking about the need to knit us together as a community more effectively.
We live in a self-centered world. So much is “I choose me.” It is as if we believe we know best our own self-interest and how to pursue it.
…
Jesus Christ offers a better way—relationships founded on divine covenant, stronger than the cords of death. Covenant belonging with God and each other can heal and sanctify our most cherished relationships. In truth, He knows us better and loves us more than we know or love ourselves. In truth, when we covenant all we are, we can become more than we are. God’s power and wisdom can bless us with every good gift, in His time and way.
He knows us better and loves us more than we know or love ourselves.
If we remember that fact we will be more likely to trust Him.
When we covenant all we are, we can become more than we are.
Interestingly, repeating extensive examples of a language teaches a computer a language more effectively than does teaching a computer the rules of grammar.
Similarly, our own direct, repeated experiences may be our best spiritual way to learn the gospel languages of warmth and reverence, service and sacrifice, and covenant belonging.
Repeated practice and exposure is the best teacher of gospel living.
Leave a Reply