Day 9 – Satan Hides in the Details

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In life, we make a lot of decisions. While some are important, life-changing decisions, most are small choices that we make daily. According to some researchers, an average person makes about 35,000 decisions a day! So, we can say that our whole life is made up of decisions, and that these choices shape our lives.

When we make important life decisions, we normally take more time to evaluate, to do research, and for us (Catholic) Christians, we discern God's will before making our final decisions. This is because these important life decisions can change our direction and thus fundamentally change the trajectory of our lives. That’s why these are called life decisions. We just cannot afford to be careless!

However, we seem to be less careful, or less vigilant, when it comes to making smaller daily decisions. It is understandable that we cannot afford spending too much time on making small decisions, or else our life will be paralyzed. And you know what, Satan knows that too! And that is where Satan sneaks into our lives, into our daily routines, to play tricks on us. But don't be deceived by small tricks that seem trivial.

There is a saying: you are what you eat. Similarly, making lots of little poor decisions, daily, will affect your well being. These little choices we make and the way we make them slowly mold us over time, and would come to influence the way we make our bigger life decisions. The things that seem inconsequential can eventually lead our lives astray. Our lives are a summation of our daily choices, and the Devil is in the details.

If we are not vigilant, the Devil will sneak up on us in the minutiae of everyday life without our knowing. Again, we need to remember that Satan knows us well. It knows what we love or hate, and how to attract or trigger us. We make our decisions based on what we like or dislike, and our emotions. So, if Satan knows that we are impatient, it takes advantage of that by making us feel rushed so we become more prone to making careless decisions. Satan takes great delight in tricking us here and there in order to slowly win us over! It knows how to use small little baits to lead us towards its embrace. Before we know it, we are already in the Devil's trap!

And watching all of this unfold from a distance is the Father, who feels so helpless. The Father's unconditional and non-possessive love makes Him so vulnerable, so painful!

REFLECTION

Are you, like most of us, making small decisions without much thought? After today's reflection, will you make some changes in how you handle small daily decisions?

Examine, in what ways are those small decisions that you have made in the past shaping your life or your approach in making those more important decisions?

Do you think you have unknowingly been tricked by the Devil over the years? Did the Devil seek your consent?

TODAY'S PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I know nothing is more painful than watching our loved ones being deceived. Now, I realize how sad you feel all these years watching me making all those wrong decisions against you, which has led me slowly away from You. I confess my instances of negligence through which I have offended you! Be my light, Lord, and do not allow my arrogance and ambition to rob me of my conviction to follow your way. Seek me, Lord, and lead me! You are my one and only Lord. To whom can I turn to? I trust in You!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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Sincerely invite you to share the reflections that inspires you by this day's retreat.