A How To for Edification

I once had a professor pose a question to the class at large “When you stand before the Lord at judgment day and He asks “How did you serve your fellow man?” how will you respond?”

As Human Beings we are in possession of a great gift, a rational soul. The soul is the essence of the self it allows for logic and reason to co-exist with passion and emotion. Having this rational soul is what being human is about; we need to use this gift to serve others with the byproduct being the preservation and edification of our own humanity. In Marcus Aurelius Meditations he writes that the human soul is capable of many attributes such as: affection for its neighbors, truthfulness, and humility. He credits these attributes as some of the key components of the rational soul or humanity therefore if the soul is in possession of these components then by nature human beings “were made to help others”. It seems that lately opportunities for helping others have come pouring out from literally all over the world. Cries for help come in many forms from the current natural disaster in Haiti to helping your next door neighbor that may have lost their job or home due to current economic conditions. The question is though are we helping or better yet ask yourself “Am I helping others?” Are we fulfilling the measure of our humanity by helping others? An LDS hymn has a line that states “have you done any good today?” I know that sometimes just the sheer struggle of our own everyday life can be a hindrance; however giving help can be as simple as a smile to acknowledge a person, help can be given in so many shapes, and sizes. I have been pondering lately what more I can do to help, there are so many that need to be uplifted and reminded that they are loved, accepted, and appreciated. It’s so easy to slip into a self centered “me” mode, a mode that slowly erodes away at your humanity. I have choosen to edify my soul by helping not only those that ask, but by being more proactive in offering and seeking opportunities to help.