Sense of the Sacred

As I was preparing my lesson for seminary this past week, I came across a quote that really struck me.  It struck me so much that I sought out the rest of the talk, and I am so glad that I did.  This was the quote: 

“Be wise with what the Lord gives you. It is a trust. …

“Rather than drifting into carelessness, may your life be one of increasing exactness in obedience. I hope you will think and feel and dress and act in ways that show reverence and respect for sacred things, sacred places, sacred occasions."  

It is from a CES devotional from 2004 by Elder D. Todd Christofferson entitled "A Sense of the Sacred".  This talk, coupled with a talk given by my oldest son in church last week, really struck a chord with me.  Paul quoted something from "True to the Faith":

"Reverence is profound respect and love. When you have a reverent attitude toward God, you honor Him, express your gratitude to Him, and obey His commandments. You should be reverent in your behavior as well as your attitude. Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings. It includes wearing modest clothing and using clean, wholesome language. The depth of your reverence is evident in your choice of music and other entertainment, in the way you speak of sacred subjects, and in the way you dress and act when you attend church and the temple. You show your reverence for the Lord when you serve other people and treat them with kindness and respect.  As you become more reverent, you will notice a quiet transformation in your life. The Lord will pour out His Spirit more abundantly on you. You will be less troubled and confused. You will be able to receive revelation to help you solve personal and family problems.  Just as reverence brings you closer to God, irreverence

suits the purposes of the adversary. Satan will tempt you to follow the world’s trend to more noise, excitement, and contention and to less restraint and quiet dignity. Like a commander mounting a military invasion, he will try to jam the channels of communication between you and the Lord."

We definitely need to  increase an understanding of this in our family - that respect and love for the Lord is demonstrated in how we treat each other, how closely we follow the little things we have been asked to do.  So many of those little things show how much we love the Lord and whether or not we are willing to put His will first in our lives.  I really feel strongly that I as a mother need to help set the tone with this, but I am perplexed because I feel like I have a good understanding and application of this principle.  I feel that I have tried to set a good example for them in this, but somehow it hasn't transferred to them.  The older ones are doing better, but even so, we still have some days/weeks when it is a struggle.  I will be praying and fasting to understand how to do better.  Thank goodness for another day to fight the fight, to try harder, to love more, to draw closer to them and together to draw closer to the Lord.