focused on one
This week in class, we covered a chapter in 3 Nephi that I had actually studied in relief society a few weeks before. In 3 Nephi 17, Christ is teaching the Nephite people, but He perceived that they were tired and needed time to go home and ponder. However, the people wanted to stay with Christ longer, so He stayed with them and healed their sick and afflicted. In verse 9, it reads "he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him." Later in the chapter, Christ also bless the children who were present. Verse 21 reads that Christ "took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them."
In relief society, we discussed what we could learn from this chapter about how Christ ministered to the people and how we can minister to others as Christ would. As I read this chapter and thought about those questions, I was struck by how Christ always ministered to the one. There were so many people around Him in desperate need of His divine love and support, yet He didn't become overwhelmed. Instead, He took the time to minister to each individual person.
As I go about trying to serve, I have a tendency feel overwhelmed and inadequate to help lift those around me. I want to be the Savior's hands and minister to those who are in need, but my feelings of being overwhelmed can lead to action paralysis. Since I can't figure out where to start, I end up doing nothing. However, when Christ ministered to the people, He face the same situation. Everyone around Him was in need, but instead of feeling overwhelmed and freezing up, He started with the one.
Christ's ministry was and is always focused on the one, and our ministry needs to be the same. We can pray to find one person to serve in whatever capacity the Lord needs that day, and then we can act. The world doesn't change immediately or overnight, and people's problems likewise won't vanish in a day. Lasting change starts when we begin to focus on the one and how we can serve that one person the way that Christ would. As we focus on the one, we will be ministering the way that Christ ministered, and we can have the assurance that we are being instruments in His hands.
In relief society, we discussed what we could learn from this chapter about how Christ ministered to the people and how we can minister to others as Christ would. As I read this chapter and thought about those questions, I was struck by how Christ always ministered to the one. There were so many people around Him in desperate need of His divine love and support, yet He didn't become overwhelmed. Instead, He took the time to minister to each individual person.
As I go about trying to serve, I have a tendency feel overwhelmed and inadequate to help lift those around me. I want to be the Savior's hands and minister to those who are in need, but my feelings of being overwhelmed can lead to action paralysis. Since I can't figure out where to start, I end up doing nothing. However, when Christ ministered to the people, He face the same situation. Everyone around Him was in need, but instead of feeling overwhelmed and freezing up, He started with the one.
Christ's ministry was and is always focused on the one, and our ministry needs to be the same. We can pray to find one person to serve in whatever capacity the Lord needs that day, and then we can act. The world doesn't change immediately or overnight, and people's problems likewise won't vanish in a day. Lasting change starts when we begin to focus on the one and how we can serve that one person the way that Christ would. As we focus on the one, we will be ministering the way that Christ ministered, and we can have the assurance that we are being instruments in His hands.
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