Another way to change our hearts is to serve our neighbor. This service will help us grow in the light of the Spirit, and assure us progress in addiction recovery and the remission of our sins. In order to be free from addiction, one must get outside of him or herself and serve. The desire to help others is a natural result of spiritual awakening. We have to love our neighbor as ourselves. But, who is our neighbor?
We remember the parable of the man from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho who fell into the hands of robbers and was left half dead. A certain priest passed by on the other side and a Levite came, looked on him and likewise passed on the other side. Then Jesus taught, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”Then Jesus asked another question of the lawyer: “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” And the lawyer responded, “he that shewed mercy on him.” Then said Jesus unto him, “Go, and do thou likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37).
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches us, “Every time I read this parable I am impressed with its power and its simplicity. But have you ever wondered why the Savior chose to make the hero of this story a Samaritan? There was considerable antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans at the time of Christ. Under normal circumstances, these two groups avoided association with each other. It would still be a good, instructive parable if the man who fell among thieves had been rescued by a brother Jew. His deliberate use of Jews and Samaritans clearly teaches that we are all neighbors and that we should love, esteem, respect, and serve one another despite our deepest differences—including religious, political, and cultural differences.”
As we serve our neighbor, we grow closer to our Heavenly Father and to His Son Jesus Christ. We may ask ourselves, why? The answer to this question can be found in the words of the Savior, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, y have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).
In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin had a large tower built so that the multitude of his people could hear his words. From the tower he taught them the principle of service. “And behold, I tell you these things that you may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17).I know that it is very difficult to think of the problems and needs of others when we find ourselves suffering from sin and addiction. But it is my testimony that one of the most effective solutions for our problems is to get outside of ourselves and serve our neighbor, and at the same time, our Savior Jesus Christ. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find it.
No comments:
Post a Comment