I wish we knew/understood what we are really fighting for and I assure you it is a fight. We are fighting the natural man, not to keep commandment after commandment just so we can be obedient and know we've checked another commandment off the list. We aren't asked to keep the Sabbath day holy just so we have a day to nap (though it is always a delight when I can take a nap on Sunday), we aren't told to be careful of our internet usage just to prevent the spread of pornography in our lives (keeping in mind pornography is a pernicious evil and we should avoid it and defend against it whenever it attempts to rear its ugly head), we aren't taught about good better and best just to avoid the idea of saying that all is well in Zion. We are asked to do these things because our time is bought with a price. Our Savior Jesus Christ paid for our time on earth with His precious blood, all that we are, all that we do, all that we accomplish was paid for by our Savior our time is bought with a price. He came to earth to live our lives with us, the primary song "If the Savior stood beside me" is not a hypothetical, He did stand beside us and see our lives and in certain moments I'm quite certain He does still stand beside us.
We are encouraged to keep the commandment so we can refine our nature and be more in-tune with the spirit than we can be when we are heeding the voice of the natural man. Keeping the Sabbath day holy can help us learn how to consecrate our lives to the Savior and the will of the Father. Being more aware of our internet usage helps us to remember that time is a precious commodity, we have hands that can lift and serve, not just swipe up down or left and right. But even more so these things can invite the Spirit that can then transform our lives. In the book "Through the Veil" John Pontius talks about how the burden of discipline will always lose to the pull of the natural man. This life can't just be about keeping all the commandment balls in the air all the time, at some point our natural desires will gravitate to a different direction and something will fall to the floor. We are too fragile in this mortal life to do everything, that shouldn't keep us from desiring to be righteous, we just need to think about how best to reach that goal. And perhaps one way is to invite the Spirit as our constant companion, the members of the Godhead understand our unique role and our unique abilities, they can give us uniquely tailored guidance for each individual in each unique situation. We obey the commandments to consecrate a life to following the Savior, He did all that the Father hath and invites us to learn how to do the same. He knows it won't be easy, Heavenly Father knows it won't be easy, that is why He prepared a way through our Savior Jesus Christ and through His grace our imperfections and falling short moments can be made all right. There is a power that comes from being on the errand of the Lord, from knowing that you have been commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself to serve His children and those He loves. It is a powerful thing to be prompted by the Spirit to say or do a certain thing, only to find out later that was exactly what they needed. My journey and commission is unique to me, just as your journey and commission is unique to you. That could be one reason passing judgement is so detrimental, we have no idea what role someone else has to fill, some role they are uniquely qualified to accomplish.
We may not accomplish commandment keeping perfection in this life, we may still struggle with wanting some really humany, mortal things. We will fall short so very many times, we will be imperfect in our time management, in selfish desires and in uncertainty, but as we come to cultivate a spirit that wants to obey, a desire to be better today than we were yesterday, to seek His will above our own, we can receive our own errand from the Lord and we can be a messenger of light and love to those who matter most, we can be a light to those in darkness and we can bring the love of God to those who feel they have gone too far afield for much too long.
I feel like the more I learn and the more I experience the more I realize it really is just about love. All that we do in this life is in trying to feel love and all that Heavenly Father asks us to do is that we might feel His love. He wants us back and He wants us home, He loves us so much and hopes that somehow we will listen to feel and learn to love ourselves and others.
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