What Christ's love really means...
Reading, listening, watching, I realized something. The apostles loved Christ. I mean they loved him. Not in some abstract way because he was divine, or the messiah, or the redeemer of their sins. But in a real way. Like you love a wife, a father, a daughter, your closest friends and loved ones. That's also how Jesus loves us.
I mean this. This isn't some abstract thought. Something metaphysical. There are aspects of Christ's atonement that defy and exceed all of our understanding. But his love and devotion for his fellow man is not one of them. It was not just for his sacrifice he loves us. But for us as persons, individuals.
That may seem like pure simplicity to some. That Jesus loves us. But I have found there is a difference in believing in Christ and believing him. In recognizing a historical and scriptural person, and developing that personal respect and devotion.
At this point I feel I must digress for just a moment. I've had faith since my youth. Not always perfect. Often lacking. And what faith I had was almost clinical in nature. Focused on the Atonement and it's purpose. Which is proper I believe. To focus on his gift for all mankind. Our ability to repent because of him.
But that isn't enough for me anymore. I've gone to church. I've read scriptures. I've prayed. It just often has felt hollow as of late. I didn't know why.
It was a connection. Something I severely needed when it came to faith. I've written before how I struggled to get answers to prayers. How my faith has always been hard to reconcile with my analytical mind. I think I found the answer for me.
To focus on who Christ was. And how he loved. The roles he played. Not just the biggest ones. But the teacher, the carpenter, the son, the brother, and the friend. To see him through the eyes of those who knew him.
I remember being taught when I was younger to pray like I was talking to my father in heaven. Like I would, and do speak with my own father. And to always end my prayers in the name of his son.
I've done that as long as I could remember. But there was still a void that I hadn't crossed. Then I realized the things that resonated with me the most were the one's that I found the connection with. When it came to prophets and many scriptural stories. Jonah's struggles, Peter, Nicodemus, Thomas, all of them with doubts. Moses being slow of speech. David tempted, Solomon falling, Saul becoming Paul and requiring redemption or Alma. To feel like your purpose is futile like Mormon and Moroni. There are human tendencies that make it easier for me to relate to those individuals. That was missing for me with Christ.
He's perfect. He's divine. He's God's only begotten. I used to ask. How do I relate to that? How do I find common ground? I kept missing those human aspects of my savior. To overcome the distance I had to make a change. That change was recognizing he lived life. He wept. He hungered. He loved. He listened. He walked. He tired. He was tempted. But most of all he was truly connected and invested in so many people.
This has changed so much for me as of late. My prayers are getting that much more sincere with that realization. It's like an awakening. No struggle is immune or neglected from conversation now. I don't see that changing.
Because this is a change in me as much as in experience. I know how I love my Wife, I know how I love my children. I know how I care for my best friends. How I care about my former battle buddies. My patients. I now feel that love for me. I now read the scriptures seeing that love displayed daily. In the little things. Seeing that same emotional intimacy and devotion with those around him.
Lord help thou my unbelief has taken new meaning in my heart. And his promise to not leave us comfortless holds my heart that much more. Because that is his mission and purpose as much as it was to die for our sins. He was here to teach us charity, which for me always felt distant. It was service from afar. But he taught us love in ways I hadn't recognized before. I don't know how I missed it. But I'm thankful I see it now. I see a fully fledged human being now. Not just a vessel or figure for my redemption. Maybe I care about him more than I realized. Maybe I wasn't open like I should have been. But I am thankful for this change.
For those who want to know what's made a difference for me lately. Read Mark and watch these. Watching these with my daughter, recognizing what she was seeing through her eyes, that's what made the biggest difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyv1W-hsmx8&list=PLwjoqDa8kUBL_trCMU-TzEFE1Sm7kYuP6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyv1W-hsmx8&list=PLwjoqDa8kUBL_trCMU-TzEFE1Sm7kYuP6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d4beuMwGbA
I mean this. This isn't some abstract thought. Something metaphysical. There are aspects of Christ's atonement that defy and exceed all of our understanding. But his love and devotion for his fellow man is not one of them. It was not just for his sacrifice he loves us. But for us as persons, individuals.
That may seem like pure simplicity to some. That Jesus loves us. But I have found there is a difference in believing in Christ and believing him. In recognizing a historical and scriptural person, and developing that personal respect and devotion.
At this point I feel I must digress for just a moment. I've had faith since my youth. Not always perfect. Often lacking. And what faith I had was almost clinical in nature. Focused on the Atonement and it's purpose. Which is proper I believe. To focus on his gift for all mankind. Our ability to repent because of him.
But that isn't enough for me anymore. I've gone to church. I've read scriptures. I've prayed. It just often has felt hollow as of late. I didn't know why.
It was a connection. Something I severely needed when it came to faith. I've written before how I struggled to get answers to prayers. How my faith has always been hard to reconcile with my analytical mind. I think I found the answer for me.
To focus on who Christ was. And how he loved. The roles he played. Not just the biggest ones. But the teacher, the carpenter, the son, the brother, and the friend. To see him through the eyes of those who knew him.
I remember being taught when I was younger to pray like I was talking to my father in heaven. Like I would, and do speak with my own father. And to always end my prayers in the name of his son.
I've done that as long as I could remember. But there was still a void that I hadn't crossed. Then I realized the things that resonated with me the most were the one's that I found the connection with. When it came to prophets and many scriptural stories. Jonah's struggles, Peter, Nicodemus, Thomas, all of them with doubts. Moses being slow of speech. David tempted, Solomon falling, Saul becoming Paul and requiring redemption or Alma. To feel like your purpose is futile like Mormon and Moroni. There are human tendencies that make it easier for me to relate to those individuals. That was missing for me with Christ.
He's perfect. He's divine. He's God's only begotten. I used to ask. How do I relate to that? How do I find common ground? I kept missing those human aspects of my savior. To overcome the distance I had to make a change. That change was recognizing he lived life. He wept. He hungered. He loved. He listened. He walked. He tired. He was tempted. But most of all he was truly connected and invested in so many people.
This has changed so much for me as of late. My prayers are getting that much more sincere with that realization. It's like an awakening. No struggle is immune or neglected from conversation now. I don't see that changing.
Because this is a change in me as much as in experience. I know how I love my Wife, I know how I love my children. I know how I care for my best friends. How I care about my former battle buddies. My patients. I now feel that love for me. I now read the scriptures seeing that love displayed daily. In the little things. Seeing that same emotional intimacy and devotion with those around him.
Lord help thou my unbelief has taken new meaning in my heart. And his promise to not leave us comfortless holds my heart that much more. Because that is his mission and purpose as much as it was to die for our sins. He was here to teach us charity, which for me always felt distant. It was service from afar. But he taught us love in ways I hadn't recognized before. I don't know how I missed it. But I'm thankful I see it now. I see a fully fledged human being now. Not just a vessel or figure for my redemption. Maybe I care about him more than I realized. Maybe I wasn't open like I should have been. But I am thankful for this change.
For those who want to know what's made a difference for me lately. Read Mark and watch these. Watching these with my daughter, recognizing what she was seeing through her eyes, that's what made the biggest difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyv1W-hsmx8&list=PLwjoqDa8kUBL_trCMU-TzEFE1Sm7kYuP6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyv1W-hsmx8&list=PLwjoqDa8kUBL_trCMU-TzEFE1Sm7kYuP6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d4beuMwGbA
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