Mutual Contribution

As I reviewed Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson's talk, The Needs Before Us, I was reminded of something I wish I had blogged about this morning. During her talk, Sister Oscarson said that we can serve others and help meet other's needs by contributing at church meetings. We sometimes go to church hoping to hear a good lesson and be spiritually refreshed. I know I do. But we also go there to support each other, and we should try to remember that. Sister Oscarson quoted Elder D. Todd Christofferson as having said, "A major reason the Lord has a church is to create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the ‘strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.’" Of course, we hope that the lessons we hear at church and the spirit we feel there will help sustain us, but we also go there so we can help sustain others.

Fortunately, though this advice comes too late to apply to this Sunday, it can also apply to virtually any other experience we may find ourselves in. I am a college student, and I sometimes go to class expecting to just sit back and let the instructor teach me something, but I can do more than that. I can enhance the learning environment by asking important questions and making insightful comments. I can contribute to the lesson rather than just listening to it. We can do similar things in other situations. We can reach out and offer help others, no matter where or under what circumstances we meet them.

Unfortunately, doing this will sometimes be difficult. It will force us to step out of our comfort zones. It will also often require us to be conscious of other's needs. Noticing and the responding to the needs of others can be a challenging test of observance and empathy, but the good news is that meeting others' needs can help us meet our needs as well. God blesses those who do service for His children, so as we become blessings in the lives of others, we receive blessings, too.

We are in this church, and on this Earth, to both serve and to be served. We all need blessings, and there is no sin or shame in seeking them, but one of the ways to secure the blessings we need is by meeting others' needs first. If we come to church, or to life, just looking for what we can get out of it, I think that we are missing the point. I think that we should also look for ways to contribute to the lives of others, both inside and outside of the church, even as they contribute to ours.