“The Screwtape Letters” is a collection of letters written from one devil to another. Screwtape, the uncle who is mentoring Wormwood and needs help with diverting their human patient away from the Enemy, Christ Jesus.
Reading this chapter made me reflect back on a powerful sermon I had once heard. God is one who loves us the most that anyone here on earth could ever love us. God delights in us and wants us to faithfully serve Him. God does not tolerate unfaithfulness. In Revelation 3:15 and16, He says “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Once when I was out eating with friends, I was encouraged to try sushi. I know many people love this but I can not count myself among the many. When I took the bite, the last thing I wanted to do was swallow. Politely I took my napkin and let it out. But there is nothing polite about the way God is going to let it out. He will have no hesitation, no second thoughts. He will spit out whatever has a putrid, yucky, and disagreeable taste. I am challenged to think of where I stand. Am I on fire for God or do I stink? Do I make room to let God grow me or do I have a heart of stone? This chapter has opened my eyes to where I even stand with church. A music artist, Matthew West has a song called “Through the motions.” Is that me? It says in this chapter that “As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few friends and amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks ago.” I like what it says in the next verse of chapter 3 of Revelation. Verse 17 says “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” It is when I realize this that I am humbled and in need of a Savior because only a Savior can truly save me from being spit out of the only King of Kings mouth.
When I was in Colorado for my older sisters graduation in Colorado Springs, we journeyed to a ranch for entertainment and western food called the “Flying W Ranch.” We had a wonderful time but half way into dinner, it started raining. No one was worried because it was just a little rain. What was just a little rain turned into a terrible mountain storm. Rain was gushing out of the clouds with no mercy and thunder and lighting were fully attacking. Everyone was piling into cars and so my friend and I found ourselves alone in our family van. We headed to our hotel. Driving down a mountain isn’t hard. But when you are not from the mountains and you can not read street signs because of pouring rain is when nothing seems possible. We tried calling but reception was terrible and the thunder always cut us off. Our lights seemed dim and there were no blinking lights to divert us from following down the street that took us farther and deeper into the mountains. Each turn took us farther away. Thankfully God saw us to safety. My point to this story is that it is so scary not seeing signs to warn or tell us where we are going. We are humans. We fail. We need directions. When we can’t see what is coming ahead of us, we will soon meet what C. S. Lewis calls the “safest road to Hell.” Slowly, without realizing it, one finds themselves lost. No caution or blinking read lights. Just a slow decent. “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
Great tie in to Revelation. It really is terrifying to think of God spitting us out because we are not on fire enough for him. I'm a Christian, I try to live as an example of him everyday, but am I hot enough? Should I instead by driving to do much bigger, and often scarier, things for God? It's a hard thought to know what justifies hot, cold seems obvious to me, but where is the line between lukewarm and steaming?
ReplyDeleteI really liked the story you shared at the end.. it's so true that especially in our walk with God all of a sudden we can feel lost or alone with no idea how we got there. I think that is one of the main reasons why community is so important. We need eachother so that we can hold one another accountable. Without encouragement or confidence from others it becomes terribly hard to stay "on fire" for Christ. When you have a good community to grow in, you have a good faith.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that we both thought of that Revelations passage. It really is a wake up call. Also the matthew west song you referenced fits so perfectly. Satan wants to make everything we do become merely motions without that "all consuming passion".
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to point out that habits, like any aspect of Christian living, can have both a good and a bad side. Yes, it's bad to let our faith become "just a habit," without any meaning. But habits can also be good. Sometimes, the habit gets established first and the motivation to do it comes later.
ReplyDeleteI always used to drag my feet about doing devotions. I just didn't 'feel like it.' Then someone challenged me to just start and assured me I'd end up enjoying them later. They were right.
The song from West really does fit this passage quite well, I am glad you brought it up. This passage was a good prod to reminding us that we need to remember to have that fiery faith
ReplyDelete