11 Traits of Charity, the Pure Love of Christ

Post 3 by Judy Rix...

Do you ever have a bad day? I do. Some days bring out the worst in me. One time, I got upset at my daughter for taking a pair of my socks. I know what you're thinking: "Just for taking a pair of socks? Seriously?"

The absurdity of that made me stop and consider what Christ would have done if it were His socks? He certainly wouldn't have reacted with anger. He would have shown charity, the pure love of Christ. My first impulse was to shout, but His would be to respond with gentleness.

I'm trying to Emulate Jesus Christ. Charity, being the greatest of His virtues, is therefore the most crucial character trait to develop.

So What Is Charity Really?

In our day, the concept of charity is akin to helping the poor and needy. But it is so much more than that. The Bible Dictionary tells us that it is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul. The great Book of Mormon prophet, Mormon, clarifies the eleven aspects of charity:

BOM Moroni 7:45-48  

45. "And charity suffers long [is patient], and is kind, and envies not, and is not puffed up [not proud], seeks not her own [unselfish], is not easily provoked [not quick tempered], thinks no evil, and rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth [chooses good over evil], bears all things [never gives up], believes all things [accepts truth], hopes all things [stays positive], endures all things [holds on, manages life's trials]."

46. "... if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never fails. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all..."

47. "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endures forever; and whosoever is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."

Charity Will Become Your Shining Character Trait with God's Help.

Trying to be charitable every day is a challenge because of our inherent human tendencies. So Mormon gives us some tips on how to access God's power in our efforts.

BOM Moroni 7:48: "Wherefore..., pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart that ye may be filled with this love ... that when He shall appear we shall be like Him ... that we may be purified even as He is pure." In other words, with God's help, we really can cultivate the qualities of Jesus Christ within ourselves.

In that same chapter, Mormon teaches us the "If/Then" progression principle of developing charity: If we are meek (teachable, willing to obey) and lowly of heart, then we will have faith and hope, then we can learn charity. It's a step-by-step progression from one virtue to another.

Easy. Right?

Let's Get Moving!

We all have our own approach to developing good habits. What's yours? In my own efforts to become a more charitable person, I devised a simple four-step experiment which I practiced for 30 days.

• The first step was to follow Mormon's advice and ask God for help in figuring out what I'm good at and what I need to work on. Initially it was a bit overwhelming because there were so many things I needed to improve on that I didn't know where to start.

• Second, I created a "Charity Review" chart listing the eleven characteristics of charity described by Mormon. I printed 30 copies, one for each day of the experiment. You can print out a copy for yourself with this link.

• Third, every night, I re-lived my day and made note of how I did in each of those eleven areas. I thought of ways to improve the negative actions and commended myself for positive ones. By this insightful evaluation, I discovered that many of my negative behaviors were simply bad habits that could be changed.

• Fourth, I talked with Heavenly Father in my evening prayer telling Him how my day went and asking for inspiration and guidance. That sweet daily one-on-one experience was the best part of this experiment. I realized how much He loves me and that He will indeed help me to become more like Him.

What I Learned

One of the key takeaways from my 30-day experiment was that I can pre-plan responses to some of my own charity challenges. For example:

• It's easy to have charity towards others in the morning when I feel good and the sun is shining. But later in the day when I'm tired and have had a few setbacks, my optimism fades.

SO, I create a happy environment in my home or office with fresh flowers, good smells, peaceful music, and bright sunlight. Even artificial sunlight bulbs help if there are no windows. I allow myself to recharge periodically with a short rest, deep breaths, and positive thoughts.

• My charity is tested when I encounter things beyond my control or the misbehavior of others.

SO, I purposely label this as an opportunity to really grow in my efforts to develop love, patience, and long suffering instead of reacting impulsively. There is never growth without resistance or opposition.

• While driving, there are lots of opportunities for being kind, patient, and not easily provoked.

SO I try to be courteous and think of other drivers as my own family hoping they will think of me as theirs.

• The world today is filled with lots of temptations and evil.

SO I avoid anything that would not be acceptable in the presence of God: R-rated movies, contentious social media, immodest clothes, substances that will harm my body. The list keeps going and going.

• When I'm frazzled, rushed, disorganized, or unprepared, I'm not very nice.

SO, I make it a priority to have my home and life organized. This really helps to keep the clutter at bay in my physical surroundings as well as my mind. Taking time to plan ahead ultimately saves time and saves my sanity. It sets the stage for a more charitable frame of mind.

• Allowing charity and grace towards myself is a huge challenge.

SO, it helps to sing "I Am a Child of God." Still in our infancy, we are all just kids trying to learn how to be gentle with ourselves. We're going to fail once in a while. I remind myself of the enabling power as well as the saving power of Christ's atonement. Then with His help, I pick myself up, brush myself off, and start all over again!

• I can't be charitable when I'm critical of others (puffed up with pride).

SO, I look for things to compliment instead of criticize. It's always fun to see a person light up when they receive a compliment.

• Sometimes when life gets tough, it's tempting to lose hope and want to give up.

SO I remind myself of President Russell M. Nelson's counsel to "Think Celestial." The trials of mortality are temporary, and we can endure anything temporarily.

• It's impossible to be proud and selfish when you're being of service to someone.

SO I plan small and big acts of service into my weekly schedule.

Am I a perfectly charitable person yet? Ha! Far from it! But because of my daily "Charity Review," I've developed some good habits that help me to better Emulate the Qualities of Jesus Christ within myself.

By the way, my experiment has extended well beyond 30 days. It has become one of those good habits.

So what will you do the next time your daughter takes your socks?

_______

Go to the Source--What Do the Scriptures and Respected Teachers Say?

"...Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (We need to be charitable to ourselves as well as others.) (Bible, Matthew 22:39)

"And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (Bible,1 Corinthians 13:13)

"And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God..." (BOM Moroni 10:21)

www.emulatejesuschrist.com

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