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“Sadly, we sometimes become little more than Facebook friends with our Lord and Master, clicking our ‘like’ button on Sunday, then only visiting His page when we have a special need, or when prompted by another Sunday arrival,” McKinlay said, citing the tendency of people to cyclically draw close to the Savior and then turn away.
McKinlay suggested that the major reason that people turn away from the Savior is because of the efforts of the devil, who is “committed to distancing us from the influence of the master, and will do all in his power to keep us from developing a strong personal bond that will strengthen us and guide us safely through the many vicissitudes of life.”
McKinlay taught that Satan uses different strategies to distance us from the Savior.
“He convinces us that we are unworthy to enter the presence of the Master, even through prayer, by using the tactics of guilt, shame or embarrassment,” McKinlay said.
Next, Satan distances us from the Savior by making people believe they can do things on their own.
“This is commonly known as the pride cycle, not a good place for us to find ourselves as adults,” McKinlay said. “Imagine the power as you become increasingly proficient in your calling while enjoying an ever increasing degree of spiritual influence from the Master.”
McKinlay shared three ways Satan tries to distance people from the master. He tries to make people doubt their self-worth, he gives us feelings of entitlement, and he helps us develop powers of procrastination.
McKinlay suggested that everyone has felt these feelings in their life. He shared the story about when he was set apart as a stake president, he felt that he was promised that a recent business venture would be successful. This venture, however, was started right before a recession.
“After weeks of unease, early one morning, with many unanswered questions in my heart, a terribly alone and uncertain feeling came over me like a waterfall of doubt,” McKinlay said. He began to question the blessing that promised him success. He then read Matthew chapter 28, verse six, which says, “He is not here, for he is risen, as he said….”
While McKinlay found joy that his business survived the recession, more importantly, he learned the meaning of, “’In the Lord’s own way.’”
“How is it possible for us to not only take this earthly field, but come away victorious?” McKinlay asked. “By eschewing the strategic advances of the adversary, and by developing that critical, personal and interactive relationship with the Master.”
