Our Day-to-Day Time

The following is an excerpt from the talk I presented in church on 8/19/12 regarding looking up to the Lord more often.   It is possible that I have posted one of the quotes before because it is one that spoke volumes to me.  At any rate, using my time wisely is still a challenge for me, especially when unscheduled time is before me.  I thought it would be a valuable topic to leave in our family journal for future review.  I'm learning, slowly, but learning all the same.

         Failing to look up, to remember the Savior and to consistently turn to Him may not be a problem for everyone.  Because making this a consistent habit is an ongoing process for me, I’m constantly wondering what is wrong with me and why I struggle so much to create this habit.  For several years I have appreciated the words of Sherri Dew in her book, No Doubt About It.  As a young and busy mother I read the following passage and realized what kind of battle we are all fighting when it comes to spiritual maters.  She writes,

“The Holy Ghost blesses us with optimism and wisdom at times of challenge that we simply cannot muster on our own.  No wonder one of the adversary’s favorite tactics is busyness--getting us so preoccupied with the slurry of daily life that we fail to immerse ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ...The adversary will do anything to separate us from the Spirit.  Lucifer wants us to feel alone and isolated.  He wants us to try to live drawing solely upon our own genius and without the influence of the heavens, because he knows that we will never do as well or feel as well on our own as we do when we have the Spirit to guide us, strengthen us, protect us, and soothe us.  And if he can keep us off balance, never really realizing our potential or capacity, he can undermine our progression and the welfare of our families as well as the entire Church.”

We are wise to remember the adversary and his cunning.  Part of my issue may be my own stubbornness or bad habits, but he is constantly working against my good efforts.  As in any battle, we need to fortify and strengthen our defenses.  I believe that there are greater obstacles and distractions today than we have ever seen in our history.  In addition to the unavoidable busyness of our daily routines, we can also find ourselves getting caught up with distracting activities that drain us of valuable time.  In the same General Conference, Elder Ian S. Arden gave an address regarding the use of our time, admonishing us to devote our time to the things that matter most.  He says, 

“With the demands made of us, we must learn to prioritize our choices to match our goals or risk being exposed to the winds of procrastination and being blown from one time-wasting activity to another....We must devote our time to the things that matter most, and the things of God matter most.  As we engage and study each day from the scriptures, ponder on what we have read and felt, and then apply and live the lessons learned, we draw nearer to Him.”