FEAR VS. LOVE
Dear Missionary,
Chances are, if you are reading this blog you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints :). So do you know what that means? You are a missionary! And if you haven't felt a little like our friend up above then you are the exception, not the rule! The purpose of this blog is to help all missionaries everywhere (especially us members) to be a little more courageous in the building of the kingdom of God.
I hope that this blog acts kind of like a fire pit. Think of all the coals in the fire pit. They all work together to keep the flames going. And so many blessings come as a result (like some crazy tasty s'mores)! But if you separate all the coals, they will begin to cool down and burn out, becoming worthless. In that same way, the last thing that Satan wants us to do is to unite ourselves to build a burning fire of missionary work in God's kingdom. But, unfortunately for him, that is exactly what I want to do! So let's make this a place where we can collaborate and share ideas and experiences together to keep us all stoked about missionary work.
So let's start simply with fear vs. love! Take a minute to think back to a time you tried to share the gospel with someone. Were you a little nervous or scared? If you are anything like me, then you were! And you know what? That is totally okay! Mormon said simply "... I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear." (Moroni 8:16) So Charity, or the pure love of Jesus Christ, can and will cast out all fear!
I like to think of Charity like building muscles. All of those tough guys and girls out there who hit the gym everyday usually drink some protein shake or something before they go work out. That way, when they work out, the protein goes to their muscles and helps build them up faster and stronger! In the same way as drinking a protein shake, we must pray with all the energy of heart to be filled with Charity. After, we must go and serve and help others, just like working out. If we do this, I know that we will overcome the weakness of fear and be able to be strong in serving in the Lord's kingdom.
I saw this clearly in one of my companions on the mission. This Elder got to the field and didn't no much more Spanish than "Dios te ama" (God loves you). This Elder would just knock on the door and have a huge smile on his face and when they opened up he would smile and say something about God with as much love as he could. Then he would turn to me to take over. Awkward? Absolutely. Powerful? Definitely! So many more people were willing to listen to us because they felt his love!
So that is my challenge. That we all begin to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love..." (Moroni 7:48) I know that if we pray for Charity everyday and then seek to reach out to others in love, we will overcome fear and contribute to the work of salvation! Jesus Christ is the source of Charity and will freely give it to us as we ask the Father in his name. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that this is his work. I know that he has the power to strengthen and uplift all through his love!
Remember who you are. You are a Missionary!
--Parker
What are your thoughts about Charity and its role in missionary work? Please comment and share experiences below!
I think that most of us have a desire to have charity in our lives. I've found that if we simply include asking for this Christ like attribute in our prayers, we are much more aware of the missionary opportunities in our lives. And we receive even more joy in our lives. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove it!! Something I have been thinking about a lot lately, or really just this last year all together, is missionary work. And not just the work all the full time missionaries are doing in the mission field, but like being a member missionary. And as I've tried to rededicate my life to sharing the gospel when a time came about, I realized that's not gunna cut it. So I started praying and searching for missionary opportunities for my daily life. opportunities for everyday! and I have found that just as we are promised, if we ask, we receive. And so being a missionary in daily life, to all, has been something that I've really tried to work hard on. And help others understand is important. thanks for sharing the message that we are ALL missionaries so we need to shape up and start acting like it. And often times it is out of our comfort zone, but I like how you said that when we have charity, fear diminishes. I think it's such a good reminder and I'm happy someone is using their voice for something so important! We all should remember that the moment we leave our house, we are entering the mission field!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Charity is key to missionary work. Love is the motive for everything that our Heavenly Father and Savior have done. This is the Lord's work and it wouldn't be his if love wasn't involved. His love is perfect and so as members, we need to love those around us so they can feel of the Saviors love and have a desire to more fully come to Christ!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything that's been said and especially that charity is the driving force in the Lord's kingdom. That's why this church is based on service!! We show our love for God and for those around us by opening our mouths and sharing the Gospel. Yes it's scary... i don't think there was ever one time during my mission being on the street or in the metro when I didn't feel nervous before opening my mouth and starting to talk to someone. But I did it because i knew God loved those people and so did I! We can all have more charity in our lives and share the Gospel more. Thanks carter boy for the message
ReplyDeleteIts all too true what you all have said. Thanks for adding some warmth to the potential fire of this blog. I look forward to hearing about your missionary experiences in the next post!
ReplyDeleteI love this! i am ready to get out there and share. i have learned first hand that fear of man is one of satin's greatest tool but i also have learned that it is no match for charity. I love what Parker said that we must pray for charity because in all reality it is the pure love of Christ not the pure love of Alex of of Parker or of any other person. We can only be the channel through which this charity can bless others.
ReplyDeleteYes, I get scared to talk to people about the gospel when I know they are not members of the church. I am not sure why, but I do. I pray and ask Heavenly Father for courage. Recently I was able to talk to a very friendly Peruvian bank teller that I see about 4 times a week over the last 2 1/2 years about the church and if she knew anything about the church. She went off about how she use to help and volunteer at a branch in Peru for the "mormon church" and how they were so nice to her and wanted her to join. She also said how she has met with missionaries but it is just not for her. I was glad that I finally had the courage to talk to her and it went really well and now she knows that I am a "mormon" and that I care about her and will continue to care about her. The last thing I said to her as we had this discussion was that I wanted to make sure she knew that God loved her. She smiled and said she knew that and that he was her best friend! I left the bank that day wondering why I had been so nervous?
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! We want to join in on the flame of the fire! Looking forward to more blog posts and sharing missionary experiences.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! Thanks Carter. I want to share in the warmth too :) Lately, I have been pondering a lot about love. I have a neighbor that has discussed a few things with me about our church. She likes everything she hears but she doesn't seem interested in doing more. In her case, I have felt through prayer that now I simply need to love her, get to know her more, and help her in any way. I want to be a friend like Christ would be to her. The rest, I believe will follow.
ReplyDeleteParker! This is my first time looking at your blog and I LOVE it! Thank you for living the gospel in every aspect of your life. What a Christ-like example!
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about the scripture Moroni 7:48, is the idea of "praying with all the energy of heart". Just think about how much energy the human heart creates and has the capacity to do. ...thinking?....:)
The heart keeps our entire body functioning correctly because of it's simple ability to keep blood flowing on its own. I don't even have to ask my heart to do a thing! It happens naturally. (Ask our friend the Apostle Elder Nelson, he's a heart surgeon!) What a blessing. I think this idea can be considered as we strive to pray with that "energy of heart". Putting all we can into prayer to love others requires every ounce of the energy that we live of off. But at some point, having charity for others should become natural for us and something we don't even have to think twice about. That is the pure love of Christ. What a joy to be part of Christ's church and have the opportunity to love unconditionally because we know Him. !! Let us share this love with others by sharing the message of the restored gospel.
-Amber Zibetti