Satan's Trap

by C. LaRene Hall

In my life, there are many fascinating, exciting things to do. There are so many challenges that it’s hard to keep focused on the things that are essential.

What do you do when things of the world crowd in? Many times I find that the wrong things take highest priority. It’s easy to forget the main purpose of life. Satan works especially hard against good people with something as simple as distraction. He would have good people fill life with “good things” so there is no room for the important ones. Has Satan unconsciously caught you in his trap?

I certainly have found this true. Usually I do good things, but they aren’t always important. I find myself skipping the things that are vital to my eternal salvation. I leave the critical things for another day. Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I can read the scriptures tomorrow – it doesn’t have to be today.”?

Or maybe you have said, “I took Sister Jones a cake today, I’ll prepare my lesson tomorrow.” Procrastination is one of the ways that Satan catches many people. His tricks are not always easy to see. He has to deceive good people by making them think they are doing the right thing. No respectable person would intentionally do wrong.

To see if he has caught you in his snare you could make a list of all the things you do in a day. How many are good things? I bet most of them are. How many are important to your eternal life, and the purpose of being here on earth?

Why has your moral agency been given to you? Is it so you can live a pleasurable life and make choices to do the things you want to do? Or is there a more fundamental reason? Maybe it’s so that you can make the choices that will lead you to fully implement your purpose for being here on earth. Or maybe so you can establish priorities in your life that will assure the development and happiness the Lord wants you to receive.

Are you going to change your list tomorrow? I probably will. I’m not giving up my writing, because it is part of who I am. However, it’s not going to be more important than reading my scriptures, or fulfilling other church or family obligations. I’m not going to let Satan catch me in his trap of procrastination.

Visit me at my new blog http://clhall.blogspot.com/