Loving as Christ Loves

I remember a time at the beginning of my mission when I was struggling with a few various things. This is somewhat normal when you are new to the mission field and really have no idea what you are doing.  Specifically I remember struggling to feel immediate love for those I interacted with. I thought about missionary stories I had previously heard where loving those they had just met seemed to come naturally, yet I didn't feel that way. How could I love someone I had just met? Was I a bad missionary because I didn't feel this way?

I wrote home to my mother expressing those concerns explaining that I was having a hard time finding love for those I interacted with. My mother simply responded, "pray that the Lord will lend you some of His love." Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ love us deeply and perfectly. When you are finding it hard to love someone else, or feel love doesn't come naturally, lean on their love, after all isn't that how we are taught to love in the scriptures.

Christ taught in John that we are to love one another as He has loved us.

In Mormon, during a time of great wickedness and contention Mormon cries repentance to a group of people called the Nephites. I'm sure loving the Nephites at this time was difficult. In fact in verse twelve of chapter three he exclaims, "behold I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me." It wasn't simply Mormon's love alone, it was the love of the Father and The Son that carried him. 

Lastly, Moroni the final prophet to write in the Book of Mormon teaches us more about this principle. He encourages us to, "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart that (we) may be filled with this love, which He has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ."

" This love" Moroni is referring to is charity which is the pure love of Christ. When I earnestly prayed for this love my whole mission was changed. I feel I was privileged to see people through the eyes of Christ and love them with a deep love that was more powerful than a love I had ever experienced and a greater love than a love I could create on my own. I was able to feel charity told toward people I had just met because I was striving to love others as Christ loves them. 

I know that our Savior lives. I know His love is real. I feel it daily, whether it comes through other people, or through His own manifestations it is there. 

Paul in an epistle to the Romans said, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

You are always within reach of Him who loves you perfectly. I would encourage you this week to look for those daily witnesses of His love for you.