The Atonement Actualized

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In my past I have pondered on the following thoughts

How can I come closer to my Savior Jesus Christ.
How can I know him.
How can I understand how the atonement actually works in my life.

At times the more I studied the more complicated it seemed but as I have patiently continued to study, seek, and ask I have come to see how beautifully and simply the atonement works in our lives.  I do however realize that I have much more to learn, but I am grateful for the pieces I have been able to put together.  I am excited to implement this understanding more consistently into my daily thoughts, ideas, and actions. 

I have found that we come closer to Christ as we give service:

“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

-John 12:25-26

This is an eternal principle.  I believe life in the kingdom of God will be one centered on service.  So if your not a big fan of service you better learn quick. That is why I believe we have been given the great blessing of learning to serve now, in mortality, its an opportunity to practice up for heaven :)    To be truly happy here on earth and in the eternities service must be a part of our lives… and not just any kind of service but charitable service.
 “the most important attribute of Heavenly Father and of His Beloved Son that we should desire and seek to possess within our lives is the gift of charity, “the pure love of Christ”.  From this gift springs our capacity to love and to serve others as the Savior did.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard said

How do we obtain this kind of service, charitable service? Well just as it is said in Mosiah 2:11 “Serve the Lord the God with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength.” We must start with our heart and fill it with charity!

 The greatest service we can do for another is to share and teach the love of Christ. The best way to teach a person this is to love them in the way the Savior loves.  To act as a disciple and be an example of Him to all.  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ you represent Him.  You bear the name of Jesus Christ and all the responsibility that goes along with it.

So if we are to love as the Savior loves or serve as he serves,

How does He love?

FIRST:

The Savior understands that the greatest thing in the world is the human soul and that it is of infinite worth. He does not look upon us for who we were, what we are, but He does have eyes that see us for what we can become as sons and daughters of God.  He sees our divine worth and potential.

SECOND:

He understands each of perfectly.  He understands our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, or circumstances.  He knows, he understands, he affirms.  Therefore he can have true charity for us.  

THIRD:

He is humble in all of his intentions.  The Savior does not require acceptance or change from us, he loves us UNCONDITONALLY.  We do not have to accept  Him or His teachings to be loved by Him. 

He does not expect anything in return, no reward or recognition or glory.  Christ gives all glory to the Father.  He glorifies him in all He does.

ACTION:

To have a heart full of charity and to have the ability to love and serve as He does we must learn to be as He is.  We must recognize the essential worth, basic goodness, and god-like potential within every human soul. Charity is based on faith that people through Christ have innate potential for good, change, development, and growth. And then we must show it. We must not judge another until we have a complete understanding of that person.  Until you have really listened, really cared, have viewed it from their view and they agree you understand, you have no right to judge and therefore cannot make wise judgment. When there is quickness proclaiming another’s thoughts, opinion, or ideas as true or false, the worth of the other person is denied.

As Disciples of Christ it is important to listen and to care.  As we truly understand and listen to others they will feel loved, respected, they will feel important, valuable; they will be able to trust you, and the Lord. Listening and understanding is the quickest way to love a person by filling an important need within every human being.

As service is given it is important to remember that the Savior was full of humility and service is cannot be considered charitable without humility.  There cannot be any expectation as we love and serve those around us. Charitable service does not have any stipulations or requirements of the person that is being served. They whom we serve have their agency and we should not seek to take that from them.  All we can do is love them through understanding and charitable service.  It doesn't promise any reward or recognition to the one giving the service.  Humble charitable service is given freely because one understands the divinity of a person and loves God; it is the pure love of Christ. Service is done in God’s name and all glory is given to Him on high.

One of the greatest blessings of serving others in a way that requires us to see them the way Christ does and loving them in that way is that we will also come closer to the Savior. We will have a greater understanding of His love and compassion after we have practiced it ourselves.

We come closer to Christ as we practice and learn His love. We become more humble because we begin to see ourselves as Christ sees us.  We see the divine worth in not only those around us but within ourselves.  We begin to see the power of Christ's love working dialing in our lives because we have served others in this way.  The atonement then becomes more real.  We experience the great blessing of the Savior’s love, acceptance, and peace.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure”

Moroni 7:48