The Only True Gift is a Gift of Self
Posted: December 24th, 2010, 1:28 pm
The Gift of Self By President Gordon B. Hinckley
This, then, is the Christ whose birth we commemorate. The Creator of this world, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, he took upon himself mortality and became the Redeemer of mankind. His mortal ministry was one of service and self-denial—teaching, blessing, healing, lifting—culminating in that great and ultimate sacrifice which wrought Atonement, Redemption, Resurrection.
If we would claim to worship and follow the Master, must we not strive to emulate his life of service? None of us may rightly say that his life is his own. Our lives are gifts of God. We come into the world not of our own volition. We leave not according to our wish. Our days are numbered not by ourselves, but according to the will of God.
So many of us use our lives as if they were entirely our own. Ours is the choice to waste them if we wish. But that becomes a betrayal of a great and sacred trust. As the Master made so abundantly clear, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:35.)
Why are missionaries happy? Because they lose themselves in the service of others.
A Labor of Love
Why are those who labor in the temples happy? Because their labor of love more nearly approaches the great vicarious work of the Savior of mankind than does any other work of which I know. They neither ask for nor expect thanks for what they do. For the most part they know nothing more than the name of him or her in whose behalf they labor.
Of all times, it is Christmas when we must surely realize that there can be no true worship of Him who is the Christ without giving of ourselves.
At this season let us, each one, reach out a little more generously in the spirit of the Christ. It is not enough to give toys and baubles. It is not enough to give alms to those in need. That is important, yes. But it is also important that we give of ourselves with our alms.
May the real meaning of Christmas distill into our hearts, that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are really not our own, but are to be used in the service of others.
President Spencer W. Kimball, who was such a great example of this principle, once said to me, “I feel that my life is like my shoes—to be worn out in service to others.”
God bless each of you at this Christmas season, that it may be a time of joy, a time of gladness, but more importantly, a season of consecration
This, then, is the Christ whose birth we commemorate. The Creator of this world, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, he took upon himself mortality and became the Redeemer of mankind. His mortal ministry was one of service and self-denial—teaching, blessing, healing, lifting—culminating in that great and ultimate sacrifice which wrought Atonement, Redemption, Resurrection.
If we would claim to worship and follow the Master, must we not strive to emulate his life of service? None of us may rightly say that his life is his own. Our lives are gifts of God. We come into the world not of our own volition. We leave not according to our wish. Our days are numbered not by ourselves, but according to the will of God.
So many of us use our lives as if they were entirely our own. Ours is the choice to waste them if we wish. But that becomes a betrayal of a great and sacred trust. As the Master made so abundantly clear, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:35.)
Why are missionaries happy? Because they lose themselves in the service of others.
A Labor of Love
Why are those who labor in the temples happy? Because their labor of love more nearly approaches the great vicarious work of the Savior of mankind than does any other work of which I know. They neither ask for nor expect thanks for what they do. For the most part they know nothing more than the name of him or her in whose behalf they labor.
Of all times, it is Christmas when we must surely realize that there can be no true worship of Him who is the Christ without giving of ourselves.
At this season let us, each one, reach out a little more generously in the spirit of the Christ. It is not enough to give toys and baubles. It is not enough to give alms to those in need. That is important, yes. But it is also important that we give of ourselves with our alms.
May the real meaning of Christmas distill into our hearts, that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are really not our own, but are to be used in the service of others.
President Spencer W. Kimball, who was such a great example of this principle, once said to me, “I feel that my life is like my shoes—to be worn out in service to others.”
God bless each of you at this Christmas season, that it may be a time of joy, a time of gladness, but more importantly, a season of consecration