Humility is a Strength

Yesterday I was going to write more from Elder Maxwell's talk. As I was reading through it I realized I would have to copy and paste most of it so I just decided not to add more. It is a great talk to read though.

Often times in our world today, we think of humility and meekness as being a wimpy door mat. Quite the contrary, we become "steadfast and immovable," not easily riled up or tossed by the hardships, disappointments, let downs and frustrations of life. I would say this is one of the first ways we acquire true JOY. As we are humble so many other things open up to us.

I really like what author John Pontius says about humility being a strength in response to Heleman 3:35.

"Does it strike you as a contradiction in terms to say "stronger and stronger in humility?" How can humility be strength? This is true because yielding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit is an act of humility which brings spiritual strength. "

-John Pontius, "Following the Light of Christ into His Presence"

Meekness

Neal A. Maxwell and Moroni state why I chose to focus on humility and meekness for the next little bit.

"The Greek rendition of the word meek in the New Testament, by the way, is “gentle and humble.

Actually, meekness is not an attribute which is essential only in itself, said Moroni. It is also vital because one cannot develop those other crucial virtues—faith, hope, and charity—without meekness.

In the ecology of the eternal attributes, these cardinal characteristics are inextricably bound up together. Among them, meekness is often the initiator, facilitator, and consolidator.

In fact, if one needs any further persuasion as to how vital this virtue is, Moroni warned, “none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.” (Moro. 7:43–44.) If we could but believe, really believe, in the reality of that bold but accurate declaration, you and I would find ourselves focusing on the crucial rather than the marginal tasks in life! We would then cease pursuing lifestyles which, inevitably and irrevocably, are going out of style!

Even so, why the stress on meekness? Merely because it is nice to be nice? The reasons are far more deeply embedded in the “plan of happiness” than that!

Perhaps, brothers and sisters, what we brought with us as intelligence into our creation as spirit children constitutes a “given” within which even God must work. Add to that possibility the clear reality of God’s deep commitment to our free agency—and we begin to see how essential meekness is! We need to learn so much, and yet we are free to choose! (See 2 Ne. 2:27.) How crucial it is to be teachable! There “is no other way” in which God could do what He has declared it is His intent to do. No wonder He and His prophets emphasize meekness time and time again!"

-Neal A. Maxwell, "Meekness—A Dimension of True Discipleship"

These are just a few quotes from the wonderful talk. I highly recommend reading the whole thing. I will be posting more from it tomorrow.

Link to Elder Maxwells Talk

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3e34744047e7c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

What You Can Do to Receive the Gift of Charity

Charity is a gift that you can receive as you pray to be filled with love, as you give service, and as you look for the good in others.

Pray to be filled with love. The prophet Mormon admonished: “Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, … pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love” (Moroni 7:47–48). You may not feel the pure love of Christ immediately or all at once in answer to your prayers. But as you live righteously and continue to pray sincerely and humbly for this blessing, you will receive it.

Give service. We grow to love people as we serve them. When we set aside our own interests for the good of another in the pattern set by the Savior, we become more receptive to the Spirit. As you pray for those you teach, ponder their needs, and prepare lessons, your love for them will increase.

Look for the good in others. As you discover the good qualities in others, you will grow in your understanding of them as children of God. The Spirit will confirm the truth of your discoveries about them, and you will appreciate and love them more.

Seeking the Gift of Charity,” Teaching, No Greater Call: A Resource Guide for Gospel Teaching, 12

I would also like to add Listening to the Spirit and Instant Obedience.

***Remember that I would love to post anything that anyone wants to send in. If you would like to share something that you have learned about charity or any of the other posts please let me know. I also love to have comments. :) drennanbakerblog@yahoo.com

Pray for the Gift of Charity with ALL energy of Heart

A few more lessons on charity from Sheri Dew...

"I repeat: The healing power of charity, bestowed by our Father, made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and delivered to us by the Holy Ghost, can make it virutually impossible even to feel emotions common to the natural man. In fact, charity can drop-kick the natural man (and woman) right out of play."

"Now, becoming like the Savior--meaning, having our natures become like His--is not a quick or easy process. But we are admonished to "covet earnestly the bets gifts" (1 Cor. 12:31). The pure love of Christ is the best gift. It is to be coveted, sought after, and even craved. As we pray with all the energy we can muster to be filled with His love, our nature will gradually change, we will slowly become more and more like Him, and our actions and feeling will increasingly be manifestations of pure charity."

"So on those days when we're not ready to stop being offended about something, not ready to forgive someone, still determined to give someone the silent treatment , and so on, what we're actually saying is, "Wait! I don't want to become more like the Savior today. Maybe tomorrow when I' m able to let go of some irritation or injustice." Perhaps those are the times when we need to pray the hardest, the times that make it clear that a change in behavior is not enough--that we must have a change in nature. As the Father applies the balms of charity to our hearts and souls, everything from emotional wounds to personality flaws can be healed and even transformed."

President Ezra Taft Benson described the process this way: "The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature" (in Conference Report, October 1985, 5).
-Sheri Dew, "If Life Where Easy Then It Wouldn't Be Hard"

I have been concentrating on charity so much because I know it can change any miserable situation in our lives. If we are struggling in our marriages--pray for the gift of charity, if we are having trouble being the mom we want to be--pray for the gift of charity, if we are having trouble making our home what we want it to be--pray for charity, if we are having inner turmoil--pray for the gift of charity. Remember, like Sheri Dew said, it is not a quick, easy process but over time we will each slowly change and become like the Savior. I have heard some say that it was a slow process until all of a sudden one day they noticed a huge difference in themselves. It is a process that can lead to an event.

Charity: The Great Healer

A few years ago I had anoriexa. Those of you who have experienced any type of eating disorder can understand what they do to you. I completely lost sight of who I was, I lost confidence in myself, others and sadly even the Lord at times. As a result I became very depressed and confused. After a couple of years of eating agian, I was finally able to see a bit straighter and I remembered what my mother had taught me about Charity..."it literally changes your nature." I knew that in order to fully overcome the ramifications of the eating disorder I needed a complete change. (I couldn't even remember who I was before the E.D. so I couldn't just say, "Oh, that's who I was before, I'll just remember that and become that again." I really COULDN'T remember!)

So, for the past few years I have been focused largely on weeding out my false beliefs that the eating disorder created and trying to focus on doing what it takes to receive the gift of Charity. Although, I have not yet received the "gift" in the way Paul, Nephi, Elder McConkie and many others have defined it, I know that the focus on it has helped me in ways I could never have imagined. I know that as I hold as tight as possible to the Iron Rod, I eventually will be led to the Gift of Charity (the "Tree", 1 Ne. 11:22). I believe this is what our Relief Society motto, "Charity Never Failith" really means... you can be healed from ANYTHING when you strive to receive the gift of Charity.

Sheri Dew puts it this way, "Very simply, put without Charity we cannot enter the celestial kingdom, because if our natures have not become defined by charity, then we won't be like our Father and His Son. It's as simple, and profound as that.

For charity changes us. It transforms us. It is as a healing balm. When we plead with all the energy of our hearts to be filled with the pure love of Christ, the increasing, continual bestowal of charity not only changes our natures, it heals us from the emotion and other wounds created by the buffetings we experience in this lone and dreary world--wounds such as insecurity and jealousy, resentment and fear, a propensity for anger and an unforgiving heart. The healing power of charity, bestowed by the Father and made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, can make it virtually impossible for us even to feel emotions common to the natural man."
-Sheri Dew, "If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard"

Charity is a GIFT

For years my mother has taught me about charity. "It is not actions we do or things we say, it is actually a gift we receive. You must pray for it and desire it will your whole heart." I have thought about what she taught me...for years.

I think this week each post will be about charity because it is so important and essential! Paul says: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."(1Cor:13:1-3)

Sheri Dew has a wonderful chapter about Charity in her book, "If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard" so I am just going to tell you what she says because she states it so straight forward and beautifully.

"Charity is a bestowal, a gift from our Father. The gift of Charity is bestowed only upon those who follow the Son. It is the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit. But it may be the most underestimated and even the least understood. We tend to define charity as something we do or feel, but in our Father's vernacular, charity means much more. It is the word He uses to describe the character, the nature, the very essence of His Son.
Charity is not an emotion or an action. It is not something we feel or do. Charity is who the Savior is. It is His most defining and dominant attribute. It is what enabled Him to endure the Garden and the cross for you and me. It is one of the things that makes Him God. Thus, when we plead for the gift of charity, we aren't asking for lovely feelings toward someone who bugs us or someone who has injured or wounded us. We are actually pleading for our very natures to be changed, for our character and disposition to become more and more like the Savior's, so that we literally feel as He would feel and thus do what he would do. That explains why Mormon says that when the Savior appears, those who have been gifted with charity "shall be like him," for they shall "see him as he is" (Moroni 7:48)."
-Sheri Dew, "If Life were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard"

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Charity literally changes us from the Natural Man to a Spiritual Man
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More to come tomorrow on Charity.

Marriage

I feel that I need to add some inspirational things on MARRIAGE. A few weeks ago in my ward, a high councilman stood up in priesthood and said that the marriages in our ward were really struggling. He said that there were many ladies who felt that they would go up to Heaven and tell Christ that they didn't want to be with their husbands for eternity. This is very sad and I'm sure it's not unique to my ward. I know there are many out there struggling with their marriages to different degrees. Whatever degree of problems you are experiencing, I hope that somehow something on this blog may help.

I ask that anyone who would like to share things that have helped them in their marriage please do so by emailing me at drennanbakerblog@yahoo.com. I will then post it on the blog. We can all help each other. Each one of us has been through different struggles and maybe the advice you have will be just the thing someone needs. I would also be interested in books or articles you have read that might help. Thank you.

"Humility is a major ingredient of a happy life and a happy marriage." -C. Richard Chidester

My sister-in-law, Sarah, just sent this in. She said it is a wonderful Ensign article on marriage from about 4 years ago. It is called, "Falling Out of Love...And Climbing Back In"
Please read it by going to the sidebar under the section titled "Marriage" and click on "Falling Out of Love...And Climbing Back In"


(I have posted some links to articles on the sidebar title "Marriage")