Putting God first

SARA

About a month ago, my brother and I were on long drive home and after some time of casual conversation we started talking about the Gospel. We discussed the temptations that we have in our everyday lives and how difficult it is to muster the strength that is needed to withstand them.

He enviously described a man in his ward that reflects a goodness and light because of his righteousness and devotion to the Lord. I completely understood his admiration because I am constantly noticing these "spiritual giants" that are undeniably Christ-like in my own life.

A couple of weeks later during the Temple dedication I was sitting by a youth that was unenthusiastic and somewhat reluctant to be there. However, once the Prophet arose to speak, he sat up and attentively listened to the Prophet's words. Now his attentiveness may have just been out of respect but I believe it was because the Prophet carries this same spirit and light about him that even reaches out to those that may be hesitant about the Gospel.

It is inevitable that we will all have hardships and temptations in this life. Overcoming them is what makes us stronger and leads us on the path towards becoming these "spiritual giants". I can only imagine the light that Jesus emulated while He was on the earth. His spirit truly affected the masses because He dedicated His life to serving others and His Heavenly Father. Rather than being centered on what is important, our time and energy are constantly being consumed by earthly concerns. If our lives revolve around the Gospel and we work to reflect the light of Christ, the rest will fall into place.

President Ezra Taft Benson stated, "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."

I have a testimony of this and I know that as we become closer to our Heavenly Father the meaningless confusion in our lives is put into perspective. I hope that we will all be able to put God first and participate in or attend the Temple Celebration because this is truly the Lord's work.