My friend said "it takes patience, time, hard work, empathy, sympathy and an open mind. And a lot more." She's right. Marriage is all of those characteristics and more. How can we expect to love someone for an eternity if we don't learn to understand the person we chose to love.
“Marriage is the foundry for social order, the fountain of virtue, and the foundation for eternal exaltation. Marriage has been divinely designated as an eternal and everlasting covenant. Marriage is sanctified when it is cherished and honored in holiness. That union is not merely between husband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God.”
—Russell M. Nelson
“Nurturing Marriage,” Ensign, May 2006
A partnership with God. I love that. I can't imagine living this life with out the help and guidance from my Father in Heaven. Certainly not having a successful marriage with out His Son's, Jesus Christ's atonement. So isn't the atonement and the attributes of our Savior how we should treat our marriage? These same attributes that my friend named? Absolutely. These are characteristics of our Savior. But, if I were to this of just one word, one characteristic for us to strive towards to better ourselves, it would be Charity.
Charity. A perfect and pure love. The type of love that Christ has for each and every one of us.
Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is the love that Christ has for the children of men and that the children of men should have for one another. It is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul (see 1 Nephi 11:23).
Charity is “the pure love of Christ,” or “everlasting love” (Moroni 7:47; 8:17). The prophet Mormon taught: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (Moroni 7:45; see also 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
Jesus Christ is the perfect example of charity. In His mortal ministry, He always “went about doing good,” teaching the gospel and showing tender compassion for the poor, afflicted, and distressed (see Matthew 4:23; Mark 6:6; Acts 10:38). His crowning expression of charity was His infinite Atonement. He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This was the greatest act of long-suffering, kindness, and selflessness that we will ever know.
The Savior wants all people to receive His love and to share it with others. He declared to His disciples: “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” (John 13:34-35). In relationships with family members and others, followers of Christ look to the Savior as their example and strive to love as He loves, with unfailing compassion, patience, and mercy.
We can all take time and find ways to improve our own marriages. I implore you to try. Don't you give up unless it is truly the right thing to do - which is between you and Lord.
Find ways to be a little kinder to your spouse. Show appreciation each day. Be truly interested in their day. Listen to their thoughts, dreams and fears. Really listen. Put down that phone and look at them. Share a tender moment. Hold hands. Cuddle while watching that movie. Learn a new skill together. Be supportive. Stay interested in the person you chose to love. The one that stole your heart. Show sympathy and act on empathy. Become that spouse that your spouse deserve. That your Father in Heaven knows you can be.
Strive for that Charity.
No comments:
Post a Comment