Because I Have Been Given Much

The Christlike Attribute I am focusing on this year is Charity. For some this comes so easily and naturally; for others it takes a bit of work. In this last General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard told us that the best way to ingrain the love of Christ into our hearts is one simple practice:

"In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help....If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible."

The only way we can truly have charity is to constantly be "giving-minded." One of my New Year's Resolutions is to perform one act of service a day, and in order to reach that I have to constantly be searching for the opportunity. For me, it's more than allowing the car to pull out in front of me or holding the door open for someone at the library.  Those are givens.

Charity turns my mind towards the Savior, who performed the greatest act of love man has ever known:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

Because I have been given the Gospel, I, too, must give it. Because we have been given the gift of eternal life, we must share the knowledge of that gift. As members of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, do we fully realize what we have?

 Because I Have Been Given Much

Because I have been given much, I too must give

Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live

I shall divide my gifts from thee with every brother that I see

Who has the need of help from me

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care

I cannot see another's lack and I not share

my glowing fire my loaf of bread, my roof's safe shelter overhead

that he, too, may be comforted

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear lord

I'll share thy love again according to thy word

I shall give love to those in need

I'll show that love by word and deed

Thus, shall my thanks be thanks, indeed

LDS Hymns, No. 219