Charity

What is Charity? We hear the word charity in reference to many things within the scriptures but do we fully or truly understand this universal word. Charity is referred to or tied to acts of good such as helping the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc. Then we hear charity is love as we read within 1 Corinthians 13 many substitute love for the word charity. Love is kind, it is patient, etc. But really, have we ever stopped to think about what it entails. What IS Charity?

I recently finished a book that talked about charity which struck a chord within my heart. I grabbed onto this and pondered it. This has lead to a deep study that is continuing on to really understand true charity.

"The ability to forgive others arises from our own ability to love. The purest form of love is unconditional love also known as charity. Charity is love, pure, and simple. Unconditional love for our fellow beings. I believe its really one of the most important reasons we are here on this earth to learn to develop this kind of love."

We are here on this earth to develop charity. In order to develop something we must be able to understand it. If I am here to develop charity how am I suppose to develop it if I do not know what it is. 1Cor.13:2 "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

I looked up the word charity and found this definition in the Bible Dictionary (Charity) this is what it read, "the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love not merely affection, the pure love of Christ. It is never used to denote alms or deeds or benevolence, although it may be a prompting motive."

Charity is not necessarily acts. Don't mistaken me when I say it isn't because I believe charity is acts, good acts, righteous acts done out of the goodness of our hearts to serve God. But Charity is more than that, it is more than mere affection. If charity is the pure love of Christ what is Christ's love?
I love this quote that expounded my mind. It is from Elder C. Max Caldwell Love of Christ "Charity is not just a precept or principle nor is it just a word to describe actions or attitudes. Rather, it is an internal condition that must be developed and experienced in order to be understood. We are possessors of charity when it is a part of our nature, people who have charity have love for the Savior, have received his love and love others as he does." This phrase stood out to me "an internal condition". Charity comes from within, it is developed within us from our hearts.

This has what I have come to so far though I know there is so much more to understand and more depth I am searching for with this question I have understood this much. Charity is love, it is more than affection, it is more than saying I love you and it is more than helping someone out even out of the goodness of our hearts. Charity is the pure love of Christ. Christ is love. Understanding that charity is love and Christ is love we can understand the deep meaning that Charity is Christ-all that He is. Everything that he is and who he says he is that is Charity. Charity comes from within it comes from Christ. It is developed as we seek Christ by seeking His Spirit. We are changed through him. Charity is being filled with Christs Spirit so we are filled with his love and ultimately changed in nature to become all that He is, just like Him. This is Charity. This is the pure love of Christ, why he came down to earth and made the Atonement so we can become like him and return home to our Heavenly Father.