We Will Serve the Lord

Sister Rebecca Craven spoke about doing what matters most in the most recent general conference. She said this: “It takes effort to stay focused on what is truly essential for lasting joy. Satan would love nothing more than for us to misplace our eternal values, leading us to waste precious time, talents, or spiritual strength on things that matter not. I invite each of us to prayerfully consider those things that distract us from doing what mattereth most.” She suggested some comparisons that we should consider as we ponder what matters most: getting “likes” on social media versus feeling the love of our Heavenly Father, wearing the latest trends in clothing versus dressing modestly, and searching the internet versus seeking answers through the Holy Ghost. Each of these is really about seeking validation and answers from the Lord compared to seeking after the Lord and His approval in our lives. We have to learn to love God and fear Him more than the world if we are going to focus on what is truly essential for our eternal progression. As President Nelson commented on his own life in the recent devotional for young adults, “I have also stopped spending time on things that don’t matter.” We too must learn to not waste our “days of probation” worrying about trying to keep up with the world and gain its approval or we will eventually find that we have “procrastinate[d] the day of [our] salvation until it is everlastingly too late” (Helaman 13:38).

               As we read in the Old Testament, the children of Israel often got caught up in worshipping false gods in addition to Jehovah. Joshua invited them before his death: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He wanted them to worship the Lord alone, and the people replied, “God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods.” He then warned them, “Now therefore put away… the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel” (Joshua 24:15-16, 23). Unfortunately this did not happen most of the time in practice as they joined in worship of Baal and Ashtaroth and other Canaanite gods. Dr. Dana Pike summarized it this way: “Oftentimes it says, ‘They forsook the Lord and chased after other gods.’ We don't think that the Israelites ever stopped worshiping Jehovah. The problem we think historically was that in addition to Jehovah, they're bringing in worship of other deities alongside him, complicating the problem for those who follow the perspective in Deuteronomy that there's only Jehovah and you only worship him. Don't go running after these other gods.” I believe it is very much the same with us. Our problem often is that we want our “summer cotta ge in Babylon” while still worshipping the Lord. We don’t necessarily stop worshipping the Lord, but we have cone to love other pursuits more than the quest to come unto Him and keep His commandments. For example, sports is often more important than scripture study, television and movies are treasured more than temple service, and shopping is put above Sabbath Day worship.  

President Oaks suggested other ways in which we might be running after other gods today, even while professing to worship the Lord as well: “What other priorities are being ‘served’ ahead of God by persons—even religious persons—in our day? Consider these possibilities, all common in our world: 

·        Cultural and family traditions

·        Political correctness

·        Career aspirations

·        Material possessions

·        Recreational pursuits

·        Power, prominence, and prestige

If none of these examples seems to apply to any one of us, we can probably suggest others that do. The principle is more important than individual examples. The principle is not whether we have other priorities. The question posed by the second commandment is ‘What is our ultimate priority?’ Are we serving priorities or gods ahead of the God we profess to worship?” Our ultimate priority must be to keep the first and great commandment to love God and serve Him. As Sister Craven summarized, “As we center our lives on Jesus Christ, we will be guided to do what mattereth most.” As we do that and put Him above all else we will “be blessed with spiritual strength, contentment, and with joy!”