The gift of charity

When I was serving a mission, I became intrigued with the gift of charity and the necessity of it in our lives. I studied more about charity than any other topic. I am amazed at the "line upon line" process of learning about charity that I have been through. To be sure, I am not a charity well-spring of knowledge. I am continually intrigued with charity because it seems that to apply charity to myself, and to every other individual I come in contact with, is a different method or type of charity for each case/situation.

When I think about charity, I first start with the definition of charity in the Bible Dicitonary (I am going to have to paraphrase because the webpage is not working and if I go get my own scriptures, I will probably get sidetracked): charity is the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, it is not merely alms or deeds or affection, but the motive behind the deeds. Essentially, charity is the kind of love that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have for us, which is really a love that we can't understand in it's fullness because we just don't see the big (biggest) picture, but something that we can have a glimpse of, if we pray and seek for it. So, if we have charity toward others, we are trying to love them as the members of the Godhead might love them. This does not mean that we are to base our love on the judgement of others, in fact, we are told not to judge others, leave that to Heavenly Father, it is our job to love, understand and forgive.

It seems to me that charity is an all-encompassing value/gift. Here is the list given in the scriptures: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity, to me, is ultimate wisdom. It is not just love, it is giving love knowing what is needed because you are acting as an instrument of God. It is giving time and words, at the right moment. It is forgiving because you are loved in the same way that the offender is loved. this is why I think Paul says :

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

As I read through this the other day, it struck me that we are told in many scriptures to be as little children, but in this scripture, we are told to put away childish things, in the context of charity. Could it be that loving boundlessly like a child is a wonderful and aspiring quest for many of us, but that the quest for charity is the quest of a spiritually mature person? To love not only without bounds, but to love with wisdom. It is interesting, from this passage, that Paul seperates our state now, from when we shall see Christ:

Now: 1)we see through a glass darkly 2)I know in part
Then: 1)we see face to face 2) shall know even as also I am known

We don't quite understand charity now, but if we work on it (put away childish things), we will shall truly understand. How do we work on it? Moroni tells us:
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. Amen.

In other words: you've got to want it. You've got to want to love your husband and children, you've got to want to love your neighbor, you've got to want to love your enemy. And love them like Heavenly Father loves them, understand them like Christ understands them and want to let them feel the influence of the Spirit, like they and you want to feel it.

Quite the quest. A very spiritually mature quest.