Chapter Four: An Evil Interlude

SOO SO incredibly sorry I am just getting this posted.... I wrote a post and it didn't save and therefore didn't show up on the blog... But what's awesome is I get to go through it again and dig deeper!!! Round two:

First, I want to begin by saying I LOVE your comments! I check all the time, and enjoy seeing other perspectives on the chapter. Different things in these chapters hit us at different spots. Even reading it for a second time, I'm always finding something new!

Chapter 4 begins a bit discouraging. But is also full of reality checks. CS does an incredible job bringing us back to earth and really looking at sin in the face. Look at the bottom of page 59 at CS' verb choices when describing sin and sin's aftermath: "sin is a universal disease... it splits, prompts, dissolves, paralyzes, shatters." It is quick. Satan looks for the easiest and smallest entry to inject sin and let it plague our lives. What's even more of an eye opener is when we look at ourselves as sinful.

1 John 2:16 "For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world."

Reality Check #1 on page 61: "You and I have (sin) deep within our hearts. And were it not for the power of the living God, acts of violence would be committed by every one of us, and we would finally exterminate ourselves off the face of this planet."
--At  church on Sunday we talked about our Creator. God created in us a deep desire for Him. A craving. Jesus alone can fulfill this craving. However, we so often get caught up in our lives and living for us, that we try and satisfy these cravings for other stuff. We don't go to God to get stuff, Platt (the pastor) said. We go to God to get God, because that's what we crave! But because we are sinful, we look to other things and try to live according to the world.

Right now, I really need this pink and brown Ark and Co. jacket with ruffles that would look great for fall. I just really want it. But if I really think about it, I don't need it at all. I want it, so I can look cute and so society will look at me and think I'm dressed so cute ( I'm being real honest here). But then when I read the word and really devote time to building a relationship with God, I don't even think about the jacket, or where I'm going to work next, or when I'm going to meet Mr. Right, or what I'm doing this weekend. Because I am filled with a joy to praise His name! All I want to talk about is Him!

BUT then I go to work the next day... and there's the jacket. Trivial example, but it's so incredibly easy to get sucked in. It's an ongoing process, but I'm really praying for God to make the things of this world unattractive and for my spirit to be completely insatiated by the things of this world! (whew... that's a long one)

But again, I must revert back to one of my favorite verses : "My grace is sufficient." He. Is. Enough.
Reality Check #2 on page 62: "Life's not only painful; it's also unfair. Perhaps you are thinking right now that you will be promoted because YOU have worked the hardest, YOU have come up with the big ideas, YOU are the one who's done the most for your boss; therefore, it's only right that YOU be given that special position you've been anticipating. Well, be prepared. It probably won't happen. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic. Wrong happens... because of evil."
-- This is one of those DUH moments that is hard to swallow. But I can't help but think, "ain't that the truth." But I also can't help but remember Proverbs 21:1, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes." (see CS page 32).

Isn't it comforting to know this? He is incredibly Sovereign, and He will ultimately win. And isn't it cool though to know that whatever we think would be the greatest thing to happen us, be it to win a million dollars or to get a promotion, that God has something even better for us! But it's in these seemingly unfair moments that He is preparing us for what HE has planned next! It's such an incredibly relief to just sit back and know that He has got our backs, right?!
Reality Check #3 on page 64: "Prejudice is something we learn; we're trained in it. We're not born hating.We must be taught to hate."
-- Again, how true this is! Think about it. We see little kids (or maybe this was you too!) at like 4 years old cheering for a sports team, sometimes with as much fire as a grown person. Do they know or understand why they are cheering for that team? No! Then why are they cheering for that team? Because someone has taught them to find favor in that team, to cheer for that team, to love that team, and sometimes to hate another team. Am I right?

I have to admit, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it when I see little kids wearing an Auburn jersey! But just as much joy as it brings to my heart when they say War Eagle, it destroys my heart to see a little kid talk about how much they hate another team. Hate. Wow! We are constantly teaching others with our words, and more importantly, with our actions...
I love on page 66 when CS talks about how important it is to surround ourselves with people who "are strong enough to use words like: 'unwise,' 'not good,' 'too far,' 'watch it.'" We need friends who care about us to give us frequent reality checks... (I'm so thankful for each and every one of you!)

Because when we don't have reality check friends, we can be clouded with those sweet acquaintance friends. Though their companionship is wonderful! will they really tell you that's a bad idea, or don't wear that, or you are being irrational? And if we're not careful.... we can hold on to grudges. For months, years, or even a lifetime.

"Life and pain are synonymous. We cannot escape the pain. And if we're not careful, that pain can cause us to carry out the most heinous of sins" (CS 68).

CS then goes on to give us three more valuable lessons.

1. Never forget there will always be someone who will resent your devotion to the Lord.
Sometimes (the way I see it) it's a different softer form of resentment. This can be friends resenting your choice to spend time in the word over going to see a movie with them, you know? Sometimes it's hard for others to understand where you are in your relationship with Christ. In this case, I feel like it's more of them not understanding than resentment. But what a great opportunity to show your faith and devotion, right?

Or think about real resentment. How incredibly hard it would have been to be Noah. People looked at him and thought, what in the WORLD is he doing? He is crazy! He was told to build a big boat to house two of every creature for a rainstom that didn't even seem close. Talk about devotion!

2. Never underestimate the diabolical nature of revenge... and your ability to connive and retaliate.
This hurt can poison us. It can cause us to hold grudges, and retaliate. But isn't it usually that we, the grudge-holder, end up hurting far worse than the person who wronged us? And often times, the person who wronged us don't even know we are mad!

3. Never overestimate the value of your own importance.
This is something I have been praying about. A friend and I were talking about how other Christians view us. I don't ever want to seem self-righteous... That I know this big secret and look down upon others for not knowing or understanding it. It's so easy in the South to fall into the "Southern righteous view of Christianity."  I just don't want my attitude to come off as superior, or for nonbelievers to see how I am acting and think "Oh she is a Christian," and for me to be the very thing that dissuades them from looking into what I believe.

As Christians we are to imitate Christ. What an incredibly hard thing to do. We are sinful. But when we call ourselves Christians, we should act like Christians, right? Another trivial example: We wouldn't wear an Auburn jersey and then cheer for the University of Alabama, right? Alabama fans would look at us like, who's this nut? and then wouldn't Auburn fans be ashamed of us?

So these are my ramblings.. I truly feel like I was supposed to read over this twice and write about this chapter twice. A lot of things have been on my heart, and I just want to continually seek the Lord and search for His purpose for my life.

I am so thankful for each of you and am SOOOO excited you are all enjoying Esther. With that I will leave you with some favorite passages from the chapter. Your posts spur my thoughts, so please please continue!!

"You can't escape pain and evil in this life. It's there. I can't even promise you that after giving your life to Jesus Christ there will never be another evil thought of revenge. There probably will be! But I can promise that, with Christ in control of your life, you will have some built-in controls that can keep you from carrying out the wishes of your wicked old nature" (CS 72).

"God and grace are sufficient to change you from a person of wickedness to a person of righteousness. The question is, will you release yourself, by faith, to Him and let Him do that for you?"

2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in your weakness."

loveandprayers