Loving One Another - Being Disciples of Christ
John
13:34-35 says: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
According
to this verse, if we want to be known as disciples of Christ, we must have love
for others. What does it mean to love
others as we love ourselves? Why is this
important in our discipleship?
Let
me share a story I take from a message by James E. Paramore, titles, “Love One
Another.”
One
morning a poor little crippled boy in ragged clothes and badly worn shoes came
to a busy street corner and went from person to person, begging for a few lira
without success. A man observing the boy from a distance finally went over and
picked up this little lad, held him tightly and loved him, and then went forth
and cared for him with his means without any judgment.
This
sight would have touched any heart and helps us see the power of love that our
Father in Heaven would have us understand in our lives. Jesus, the beloved Son
of God, reemphasized this new dimension to bless the world when He said, “A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.”
As
we step back and try to understand this love of God, we are astounded by its
profound impact. At its center is the reality of a literal Father in Heaven
whose love for His children knows no bounds. All truths, wisdom, power,
goodness, and love He desires to share with His children, whom He created and
sent to earth. He would have us reach up and know Him as a Father, as one who
forgives, as a helper, as friend, as lawgiver—as one anxious
to grant to every man the full opportunity of His love and potential and
ultimately the blessing to one day become like Him. This love from Father in
Heaven and its effects upon one of His children or the whole world is
miraculous and contagious. He is constantly and everlastingly watching over us
to lovingly and gently nudge us along.
In
realizing Heavenly Father’s love for each of us, we can come to understand how
much He must desire for us to be His hands here on earth and help every one of
His children, not only for this life, but to hopefully help them return to Him. This is true discipleship –
giving of ourselves and loving others as profoundly as Christ and Heavenly
Father loves us. We can be His
instruments in helping others, doing good, and spreading the gospel.
I’ve
often asked myself, “Do people know I am a disciple of Christ by the way I
treat them?” There are definitely
certain people in my life that I know I treat lovingly and in a Christ-like
manner. But can I say that about my
interactions with everyone I encounter? Some
ways we can work to improve our love for others include serving them, speaking
kindly, exercising patience, not passing judgment, and expressing our
appreciation for all that they are and all that they do. As we do these things, we can draw closer to
our Savior, and become better examples for Him.
The Holy Ghost
The
Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given. The Holy Ghost, or Spirit, has many purposes
and ways in which he can bless our lives.
In John 15, it talks about how the Holy Ghost will teach and bring
things to our remembrance. It also talks
about the Holy Ghost’s power to bring peace into our hearts and lives. The Holy Ghost comforts us, and provides
direction. “The Holy Ghost is a Personage of
Spirit, in the likeness of God the Father, in other words a likeness of the
Father and the Son. His mission is to instruct and enlighten the minds of those
who, through their faithfulness have obeyed the commandments of the Father and
the Son. He bears witness of the truth, quickens the minds of those who have
made covenant and reveals to them the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He is a
special messenger from the Father and the Son and carries out their will. …”
(Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:134.) The New
Testament Institute Manual shares this regarding the Holy Ghost bringing men to
their fullest potential:
““The gift
of the Holy Ghost adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens
all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all
the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to
their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the
fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our
nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and
charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health,
vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the
physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In
short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the
eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”
“In
the presence of such persons, one feels to enjoy the light of their
countenances, as the genial rays of a sunbeam. Their very atmosphere diffuses a
thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy, to the heart and nerves of
others who have kindred feelings, or sympathy of spirit.” (Pratt, Key to the
Science of Theology, p. 101.)
I
have been blessed to have felt the Spirit strongly in my life. I can recall one of the first times I felt
the Holy Ghost; I was eight years old, and it was the day of my baptism. All morning as I got ready for my exciting
day, I remember feeling a sense of extreme happiness and peace. As I put on my special white dress and
prepared to enter the baptismal font, I felt a calmness and peace that I’d
never experienced. This feeling
intensified as I was submerged and brought back up out of the waters. I know it was the Spirit, and I knew then
that Heavenly Father was proud of the decision I had made. Another time I remember feeling the Spirit strongly
in my life was when I needed to make a decision about what to do/where to live
after completing my Associates degree in Logan, Utah. I had my own plans, but wanted to be sure
that I was making the right decision. I
doubted my plans and wondered how I could know for certain that what I chose
would be the right choice. It was a long
process trying to discover Heavenly Father’s plan for me, filled with prayer and
fasting and scripture study. There’s not
a specific moment I remember feeling the Spirit strongly, but rather looking
back over those months in my life, I remember feeling very close to Heavenly
Father, and as I received my answer bit by bit, I felt peace and clarity, and
knew that I could trust the decision I made based on the things I was receiving
from Heavenly Father. The Spirit spoke
those things to me, and I gained a stronger testimony of the importance of
always keeping the Spirit with us. He
can guide and direct us, bring us peace, and comfort us.
~Tanisha
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