Thanks for the comments some of you are making...check the blog for the latest comment I made in which Sue and I are asking you all to help me decide between two particular books I have in mind to read next, ok? I'll go with what you all have to say about it...
This past week's chapters were #17-20, and I'll share one quote from Chapter 19 that is a fundamental truth about temptation for the believer. Lewis (through Screwtape) gets to the root issue underlying the other issues that are discussed in these chapters (such as gluttony, sexualuality, patriotism, etc.):
"Leave them to discuss whether 'Love', or patriotism, or celibacy, or candles on altars, or teetotalism, or education, are 'good' or 'bad.' Can't you see there's no answer? Nothing matters at all except the tendency of a given state of mind, in given circumstances, to move a particular patient at a particular moment nearer to the Enemy or nearer to us."
Ever since the fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3, humans have debated and argued issues; within Christianity there is a wide divergence of opinions about most things. While there's such a thing as healthy debates, my experience and observation is that most of it is not life-giving because it's rooted in the desire to be "right" at the cost of closeness to God and to our brothers and sisters in Him. In the Lord Jesus we have the option to choose life (the tree of life) over always having to figure out what is "good" or "bad" (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) when faced with different ways of thinking. Most the time, it's simply different ways of seeing reality rather than one person being right and the other wrong. (I'm not applying this to clear foundational Biblical truths - in that we are unwavering.)
Ultimately, as Lewis teaches, what most matters to the devil is to move the "patient" away from God and nearer to the kingdom of darkness. So any diluting of emotional and spiritual energy away from pursuing the true God through whatever distraction (even good ones) will serve the evil one's goal of distancing the believer from God and consequently, from others.
Holy Spirit, come and alert us when we opt for operating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; strengthen us in the inner man to live from that place of abiding in Jesus Who is the Tree of Life.
Questions for this week's reading - chapters 21-24:
1. In chapter 21 how does the evil one use a sense of "entitlement" to make us discontented in life?
2. In chapter 22 what does Screwtape mean when he says of God: "He's a hedonist at heart"?
3. If the devil can't eliminate spirituality from a person's life, what will he attempt to do with that spirituality (chapter 23)?
4. In chapter 24 what does Screwtape name as the "strongest and most beautiful of the vices"?
Keep sending your comments, even if they are very simple and short - those are sometimes the most profound! The Lord bless you and strengthen His life in you this coming week; He is the Lord, the only Creator, and so we gladly and willingly bow in worship to Him always!
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Sue and I would like to get you all's thoughts in helping pick the next book out of the two that I have in mind:
ReplyDelete1. Life Together (by Dietrich Bonhoeffer) - this is a great book on Christian community. The author is contrasting true Christian community with human community and shows how healthy being together is contingent on getting alone with God, and healthy being alone with God is contingent on being with others. It's five chapters long.
2. In the Name of Jesus (by Henri Nouwen) - this book takes the 3-fold temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and shows how it works out in our lives, showing how we are called to move from "relevance to prayer," from "popularity to ministry," and from "leading to being led." It has only three chapters.
If you have input on which you would like to do next, please respond by next Wednesday, July 12, so we can announce which one we will go with, ok?
In answer to question #1, for some reason we have expectations of what belongs to us, including our time - that we can do what we want with it and when that's infringed upon, we get quite upset. We are discontent with life when things don't go our way, when we don't get something we think we deserve. Is it our expectations that lead to discontentment? And is the world around us telling us what we should have and that we should constantly be thinking of ourselves and what WE want?
ReplyDeleteA little follow-up to the note from Anonymous to say that I've found that I begin to get a sense of entitlement when I forget that ALL that I am and have is a gift from God and when I'm not genuinely thankful for His gifts. The scripture from Matt.6:33 comes to mind with its message that as I focus on Him and His kingdom goodness, He focuses on what I need for fulfillment in this life. He's so good always...
ReplyDeleteQuestion #2 mentioned "Hedonist" so I looked up hedonism. It means: Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. Now that I know the meaning of Hedonism, I will read the chapter to see what Screwtape may have meant. In the meantime, if someone figures it out, I'd like to know what you think.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura, for your comments.
ReplyDeleteAbout the next book we will read, I would be open to either book.
Concerning the next book, I would enjoy "Life Together", but certainly will go with the majority.
ReplyDeleteI have found this book very difficult in some ways. I get discouraged with myself when I do not understand what he is trying to say. But the question about what is the "strongest and most beautiful of the vices" certainly is brought out in the chapter (24). Spiritual pride is so ugly, yet so deceitful at times and I have found that I do not always see it right away in myself. Usually it is in the quietness of my heart with the Lord that I see the ugly ways that it comes out. I am so thankful that He is so merciful and loving in showing me those times that this ugly sin shows up in my life. Then in the end allows me to see His pleasure in wanting my heart pure and right before Him.
I would like to read "In the Name of Jesus," for the next book.
ReplyDeleteMiss Nita, thank you for all your work with this book club.