Today in Relief Society, we talked about “Be With and Strengthen Them” by Elder Holland. Here are the two main questions and some of
the thoughts expressed by the sisters.
What is ministering?
Friendship:
We’re building a relationship. Because Heavenly Father has
called us to visit those particular sisters, we already have a connection &
we need to trust in the Lord that He knows what He’s doing. There’s a reason we’re
given those sisters.
No judgment:
Even if your house is messy with things all over the floor,
let them in! Don’t deny them (or yourself) the blessings.
Baptismal covenant:
Ministering is part of the covenant we made when we were
baptized. See Mosiah 18:8-9
Listen and act/resources:
An important part of ministering is listening. If there’s a
need, either help to fill it or help them find the resources they need.
Instrument in the Lord’s hands/acting as an agent:
We’re acting in the stead of Christ. If we keep that in our minds,
we become more Christlike and the people we minister to can have that touch of
Christ if we’re truly acting the way we should.
Extension of your family:
It helps to know that family members who don’t live close by
have someone that they can go to. It’s what ministering is all about.
Stay in tune with the Lord and act on promptings:
If you have a feeling (like you need to stop by to see someone), do
it. We don’t know why. Just stay in tune because Heavenly Father knows better
than we do.
Scripture study and prayer daily:
This ties into the last thought. Scripture study and prayer
are spiritual fuel for the day and will be a massive help as we try to hear and
follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Bless them in whatever way you can/be there:
Often, we’ll minister to people who don’t really need any
help. We don’t have to come with an agenda, just be their friend, find a need,
and fill it.
Friendship/welcome:
People like knowing that someone is happy to see them. We
can be the happy face that welcomes our sisters to church.
Love:
We’re going out to just love them, learn their name, who
their kids are… hopefully you just do it because you want to know that person –
that’s where I would start. This is one more way to keep the commandment to “love
one another.” (Here’s a great video about that)
One-on-one (finding the lost sheep):
Jesus is one-on-one. I feel like when we’re ministering,
we’re looking for that one sheep.
Perseverance:
Don’t stop asking/inviting but follow the promptings of the
Spirit so you know when to back off. We can be “stubborn” about serving people.
Two-way (reciprocal) relationship:
If your ministering sisters aren’t coming, you can approach
them too. Ministering goes two ways. If they don’t do their part, you can help
them do it. We should try to be the
redwood forest with our roots intertwined. As soon as we put limits on things,
we limit ourselves, too.
Why is it so difficult?
Not a set lesson anymore:
True, but there are “ministry principles” in the Ensign.
Here’s the one for July.
Not necessarily monthly/we’re left on our own:
We’re left on our own, to make our own decisions, which is
usually what we want to do. I think it’s going to be a lot more successful. It’s
nice to have the flexibility to customize our ministering relationships to best
meet the needs of our sisters.
Forming friendships:
Elder Holland’s talk helps with this one. He said, “The
Church provides us a structured way to live the second commandment better—to
love, serve, and develop relationships with our brothers and sisters that help
us move closer to God.”
It’s intimidating:
We need to keep helping and encouraging each other. We just
have to keep working on it so that everybody can feel like they still matter –
like they’re important. Just because you want to do it doesn’t mean it’s easy
to do. You might fail several times until you get it right. The point is to keep trying until you change
your nature.
I know that as we minister to our sisters, we will form
friendships and strengthen the bonds that hold us together, so we can help lift each other and become (as Elder Holland says) “more like the true disciples
of Christ we are meant to be.”
Question for discussion:
What are some successful ways you’ve found to minister
to your sisters?
