my true love gave to me
four calling birds."
More than any other gift of Christmas, charity calls to me. After the disastrous events which changed my life, as soon as I was able to think again, I was given a very clear choice. I could not change the things which were happening to me, but I could choose whether or not they would engender charity or bitterness.
To be completely open and honest, sometimes I get one and sometimes the other. But I feed the white wolf of charity over the slinking, sneaky grey wolf of bitterness. Little by little, the feelings of compassion and love in my heart grow stronger, and the bitterness gradually blunts its teeth.
Before everything happened to me, I had been praying for charity. I knew myself for a selfish, self-centered creature. One day, I was thinking about Moroni 7:47, “All things must fail, but 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.”
There is nothing which shall prove a person's righteousness as much as how they treat their fellowman. In God's house, there is no room for hatred, annoyance, anger or bitterness. I have much to repent of on all those accounts.
The development of charity is changing me, changing how I view life, changing what I see as important and what is of little account. I believe it is the greatest of all the characteristics of a disciple.
I agree that Charity is the true test of one's righteousness. But we must 1st have this true unconditional Christlike love for our spouse, no matter what they are like or what they ever do, before we can ever have it for anyone else.
ReplyDeleteCharity in marriage is the true test for Exaltation. Few there be that posses it for their spouse & love & serve all their spouse's daily wishes before their own or anything else in life.