My dear Wormwood...

I have been reading the Screwtape Letters for the first time and I really like it. I was very skeptical at first because I just couldn't see how this book could really inspire me or what not, but I was wrong. In my opinion (and everyone I have talked to), the thing that makes this book great is perspective. It is almost like a revelation in some of the letters because, if I didn't know better, I could swear they were written to me. They are all insightful, but some of them really just smack me in the face with a realization of how my sin works and how my human nature allows it to continue. This reversal of faith is humbling to see how my sin finds me out and how I feel guilt and what I do to respond to all these emotions. So many times, Screwtape talks to Wormwood about what to do in a certain situation and at first he presents a thought yet twists it to where the human patient thinks he is in the right. I think I suffer from that a lot. God calls me to do these things and I do the bare minimum or give things that are of no value to me. I never really sacrifice anything for God. A theme that is prevalent with the human patient and what Wormwood is told to draw out is just what I have described: selfishness. The root of sin is selfishness, ultimately. We do things for that make us feel good, that make us look better, that will get us ahead.

The Screwtape Letters is an eye-opening read because of the "behind the scenes" look that it gives you on sin and demons and how the work in our lives. The way CS Lewis discussed how humans interact and how we respond to circumstances is almost scary because it hits the nail on the head. We see this 'patient' who is confronted with many different issues in his life, many similar to ones in my life and Screwtape writes about how things may turn out with the decisions he may make. As humans, we are easily blinded sometimes by the devil working in our lives. Sin is a very eminent thing in this world but than again so is grace. It is inevitable that we will sin, it must happen. We are human, yet with that comes choice. Lucky for us, God has poured out grace to where we have hope to make it through this binding sin. Grace is probably one of the craziest things in the history of mankind. Screwtape talks about it and how he is unable to understand it as well, why would God make the effort to save us? Because he made us, we are his, he loves us. Our relationship with God is simply that: relational.

God calls us to so many laws but He also knows that we will not be able to keep them all for all our lives, we know this just as well as He does. So, how can we reduce this God down to the do's and dont's of His book when so many times we are shown this relational Christ figure who bridges the gap from us to God. Jesus calls us to a relationship with Him and through that relationship, we are able to build these values that Jesus taught us in the Gospels. Maybe God wants our heart and if we truly can give him our heart, than our values will be set in place. We will desire to live this lifestyle that he has planned for us, because it is just that: a lifestyle. It isn't this twice a week religion. A relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father is a lifestyle. He is a selfish God and wants our all, everything we are. In Collossians 3:17 it helps us with this thought: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Jesus Christ, giving thanks to the God the Father through Him." I read this the other night and I have of course heard it before but when I think of that verse it puts into perspective what God truly wants from me. He wants everything. He wants me to die to self, take up my cross. There are so many intricate things that are involved in a life in Christ that I haven't quite figured out yet, but I know that He wants my heart...and that is just the beginning.