Loving and Serving One Another

I am sure that each of us has experienced serving someone in our life. Be it a sick child while wiping a fevered brow or pacing the floors with a restless child by night. Perhaps an ailing parent in the twilight of their life has needs only a loving adult child is willing to respond to.

When we start serving others it truly is a natural consequence of this action, to learn to love one another.

Often Marriages break up because of selfishness and lack of kind acts of service. When wives serve their husbands and husbands serve their wives and parents serve their children, there is most often a positive outcome.

What are the fruits of their labors you might ask? They come to love the object of their devotion and then are also "obedient to the first and great commandment of love."

In Gal 5:13 it says, "By love serve one another." When you serve with love in your heart, people respond to you. We need to serve God and our neighbors. By fulfilling our callings at church and in life and giving where we are needed--we do both.

I am steadily amazed at the goodness of people who give of themselves and of their talents. There is a sweetness about them like no other. Many have given to me in this way and made me feel so loved. I get so many hugs at church by people who are happy to see me and happy for me to be there. That is a kindness I never take for granted. Or perhaps when someone notices when I've been absent for a period of time and enquires about my well being. I've experienced a sense of belonging when someone cares enough to ask. It takes very little effort to do such small acts of kindness.

In our church we are taught in any number of ways that, " No one can assist in this work [unless] he shall be humble and full of love." I know that our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ emulated both a humble heart and a heart full of love for each and every one of us. I pray each day that I can find at least one person that I can give service to. I challenge each of you to pray as well for a way to serve your fellow man. You'll be surprised what the Lord comes up with. Be open to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and be ready. It's amazing what opportunities pop up at the most interesting and sometimes even inconvenient times. But no matter what, be willing to give of yourself, your time and your talents and you will be blessed with an outpouring of blessings and love.

Gal 5:13 KJV of the Bible
(D&C 12:8)
Robert F. Orton Ensign November 2001