Where Do We Place Our Idols? Inviting the Lord into Everything We Do

Brother/Sister, have you ever felt like you’re running on empty? Like you’re giving everything you have—your time, your best thoughts, your deepest energy—to a thousand little things, and when you finally stop, you feel depleted, but not truly refreshed?

It’s a feeling I know all too well. When I was first coming back from my mission, I thought I knew what 'focus' meant. I thought I knew what 'priority' was. But the Spirit has a way of showing you the subtle idols we build up in our hearts—the things that look harmless but slowly, quietly, take the first place in our lives.

The message I was pondering this week, drawn from some beautiful reflections, really hit home: it’s not about avoiding *all* distractions, but about ensuring that nothing, absolutely nothing, gets the *first* spot before the Lord.

Inviting the Lord into Everything You Do

The scriptures, and even the ancient covenants, speak powerfully about devotion to the one true God. We know the commandment to worship the Lord alone. But what does that look like for us today, as modern-day disciples? It’s easy to get caught up in the modern 'idols'—the relentless pursuit of career success, the endless scroll of social media, the desire for comfort, or even a deeply cherished hobby that starts demanding *more* time than we budgeted for our sacred covenants.

It’s not that these things are wrong! Cultivating a passion, working hard, enjoying a hobby—none of those are inherently evil. But the danger, my friends, is when they stop being *activities* and start becoming *masters*. When they take the first place in our ledger of priorities.

This is where the counsel becomes so practical, so immediately applicable to our lives as Latter-day Saints. We don't need to abandon our jobs, our friendships, or our interests. Instead, we need to practice what Jesus taught: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

This isn't a single, massive event; it’s a daily invitation. It’s weaving the Savior into the fabric of the mundane. It’s saying, "Lord, as I tackle this project, as I listen to this podcast, as I spend time with my family—I invite You to be the center."

This principle is so vital for us, the rogue disciples, who are called to be internet missionaries everywhere. Our mission field isn't just in a specific corner of the earth; it's in the moments between our appointments, in the quiet moments of study, and even in the challenging conversations we have.

A Disciple's Guide to Daily Invitation

If you're feeling overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start this "invitation," I want to point you toward a resource that has been helping me immensely lately: Davee. He’s fantastic at walking through those tough questions—the kinds of questions an investigator might ask when they are wrestling with what truly matters. He helps us apply the principles of Preach My Gospel to our modern dilemmas.

For those of you who love deep dives into scripture, I highly recommend checking out the LivingBook. If you've been wanting to explore the themes of covenant keeping or the nature of worship, look into the Book Club discussions there. It’s a wonderful way to make our Bible Study Groups feel less like homework and more like sacred fellowship.

My challenge for you this week, as you prepare for your next mission prep session or as you simply go about your day, is this: Identify one area—one activity, one relationship, one recurring thought pattern—and consciously pause before it, and invite the Spirit in. Make it the first thing you acknowledge.

Remember, we are called to be disciples everywhere, all the time. Let’s keep inviting the Lord in, so that nothing can take the first place in our hearts.