Value: Love, Charity 

Definition: God’s love for mankind; man’s devotion to or adoration of God; goodwill; kindness; generosity; helpfulness; tolerance; patience 

Vital Verses

• “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 22:36-40
• “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for behold he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.” ­– 2 Nephi 26:24

Scriptural Example 

How do you even begin to break down the scriptural references on the topic of love and charity? The gospel of Christ is founded on love. We could go with one of everyone’s favorite verses, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This sums it all up for much of the believing world. But for me, when I think of love in the scripture, I think of this verse: John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Christ could have called down ten thousand angels to deliver Him from the cross, but He endured it until the very end so that you and I could have salvation, hope, and victory over death! He bore it all for you and me. He suffered torture, torment, ridicule, and embarrassment; He bled and died all because He loved us so much that He couldn’t imagine spending an eternity without us. Talk. About. Love. 

Life Application 

I once heard it said that you don’t have to like someone to love them. You may not like everyone you meet in this life. But that doesn’t mean you can’t show love to them. Christ commanded us to love our neighbor as He loved us. So how do we do that? Was it easy for Christ to love those who mocked Him, beat Him, or spit upon Him? Yet, He still took the cross for them. He still loved them enough to give them a chance for salvation.

We can shine the love of Jesus Christ in so many simple ways that it might just blow your mind.

When was the last time you said, “God bless you,” when someone sneezed instead of simply, “Bless you?” That’s a simple way to share God’s blessings and love with a complete stranger. A smile. Holding a door open. A hug. As humans, we overcomplicate things. God has showered us with His love and blessings, and all He’s asking is that we share that with the world. One sincere hug at a time. One honest handshake at a time.

I’m reminded of the acronym KISS…Keep It Simple, Silly. The love of God will exude from you if you’ll let it. 

Points to Ponder

• We love a lot of things: our hometown sports team, our favorite band. But charity is the pure love of God. What’s the difference?
• Christ said the world will know we’re His disciples by the love we show one another. Are we showing one another love? Always?
• We’re surrounded by so many people who can be difficult to love. How do you show love when you don’t feel love?
• “So let it shine the love that Christ has given, you. Oh, let it shine. Someone might be looking for a love like yours and mine!” How will you let it shine today?

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This article has undergone ministry review and approval.