Becoming Ambitious To Do Good

A few years ago my friend Marnie and I took the Mia Maids from our ward (14- 15 year old Young Women) to clean the home of an elderly couple. The wife had been given a stark diagnosis: cancer. At first I wondered why we were cleaning while Marnie talked, after all, this WAS her idea. I overheard their conversation and I soon understood that my friend had a grander vision in mind than just dusting plants.  She talked to the couple about their lives and their day to day struggles with their situation. She listened attentively and compassionately. I remember her saying something like, “If you need rides to the doctor’s office, I can do that!”  I later found out later that Marnie wasn’t just talk, she followed through. She didn’t wait for this couple to call and ask, she found out their next appointment and insisted that she take them. Among other things, she frequently called this couple and brought them dinner. My heart melted as I witnessed someone actively seeking to lift a burden, someone truly ambitious to do good.

In the Relief Society meeting minutes dated the 17th of March 1842, [i] it was noted that Emma Smith encouraged the sisters to be “ambitious to do good.”  I must admit that, at that time, this ambition did not fit me as well as it should have.

ambitioustodogood_ig

I later read a talk my Visiting Teacher found for me. I had asked her something like, “How do you get to know the Savior? I know how to talk to and gain a relationship with my Heavenly Father, but I can’t quite figure out how to know my Savior.” I was surprised to find that she had not forgotten my heart-felt plea on this issue and soon sent me a link to an old talk by Elder Faust. [i] Among other things, he suggested:

A daily selfless service to another.

Yes! This was what I was missing and I found that it was something I needed desperately in my life. (Side note: I find it ironic that I was blessed with this talk because my wonderful visiting teacher was “ambitious to do good.”)

I am a work in progress and don’t pretend to have this concept fully figured out, but as I implemented Elder Faust’s advice and Emma’s “ambitious to do good” counsel in my own life, I was blessed and somewhat surprised with the following results:

  • I became much more interested in lifting burdens then I was concerned with my own problems.
  • Doing Good Is a Pleasure.”
  • My burdens were made significantly lighter, not that they were taken away, BUT I was able to bear them with greater ease and less worry. [i]
  • My heart was full of compassion for those who sorrowed and suffered.
  • The peace I received from lifting burdens was REAL and nourished my soul.

In the Service of Our God- Literally

It was wonderful. I did feel closer to my Savior when I was ambitious to do good. Elder Eyring seemed to fill in the gaps last April when he spoke [i] about the relief that our fast offerings bring as he said,

…whose relief the Lord will feel as if it were His own.

After pondering I understood. The Savior suffered terribly for us but from Elder Eyring I also learned that perhaps a tiny bit of His suffering was relieved because you brought someone dinner when they weren’t feeling well. It’s possible His terrible load was made lighter because of your anonymous gift you left on someone’s doorstep. Maybe as you cried with your friend through her heart breaking ordeal, a little load was lifted from His back and so on. I finally understood that we love and know our Savior better when we serve others because He became us. [i] Comprehension flooded me in a way like never before that when you “are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” [i]

Oh, Mary & Martha!  How they must have adored serving our Savior.  They fed Him, gave place for Him to teach in their home, and it became Mary’s sacred privilege to anoint His feet before His burial.  [i], [i] As much as we would love to be in their shoes, our service can benefit Him directly as well.  When we strengthen feeble knees, the relief is real for our Savior.  This comprehension makes ambitious service more meaningful because, again, we are in the service of our God.

There is another variable to this equation. If we understand that service can lighten the load of our Savior then shouldn’t we accept help if it truly will relieve us? If we see that our load is alleviated and thus so was His, might it be worth letting go of some pride? Hmmmmmm…

May we not wait for a sign-up sheet in church to bring someone dinner. May we never again half heartedly ask the obligatory question, “Is there anything that I can do?” As we are truly ambitious to do good while seeking divine guidance, may we be able to offer true relief that the Savior will “feel as if it were His own.” (see above)  May we use our ambition to do something other than serve selfish interests. May my hands have the great privilege and honor of being quite literally in the service of my God.

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