Why do our “trough periods” make us so vulnerable (43)? Is this applicable to you?Often times when we fall into a rough period of our lives, it's easy to feel like we will never be able to get back up. We can convince ourselves that after our past indiscretions God could never want us back again. Often it is hard to come back to God after we've pushed him so far out of lives. However, He's never really gone. He's simply waiting for us to call him back. This point was very applicable to me. I often get spiritually lukewarm very quickly. Often I haven't pushed God completely from my life, but neither am I raising him up to the forefront. As a Christian, The Screwtape Letters have challenged me to keep my focuses on God.
What are your thoughts regarding “parallel lives” (51)? What does this mean to you?It's very easy to fall into a pattern of "playing the part" of whatever social group you're in. In essence, we do the best to fit in with the people around us, or simply become so used to their mannerisms that we mimic them subconsciously. This chapter really spoke to me. I often find myself trying to "balance" my Christian testimony with my relationships to my friends. When I'm with certain friends, often the urge to fit in drowns out my moral obligations. I smother the guilt, and compare myself with others to ease my worries. In reality, this is a shameful habit. Besides the obvious facts of hypocrisy, this is simply making excuses for failing to meet God's standards. Our time on earth is fleeting, and it was never meant to be our true home. Therefore, Christians should keep themselves distinctly separate from the world.
What are your thoughts on music and joy after reading this chapter? I believe that, as with all things, both music and joy were created with the intention of bringing glory to God. Although (especially nowadays) music is often used in a perverse way, it is still a beautiful way to unite Christians in the worship of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment