"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not look out merely for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" - Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)
"...the most useful human characteristic is the horror and neglect of the obvious" - Screwtape (The Screwtape Letters, Chapter III)
"The only way you can truly be yourself is to let God tell you who you are" - Anonymous
If you ever get the chance, read C.S. Lewis' book: "The Screwtape Letters". It is an interesting and creative approach to exposing the activity of demons and devils. The main character in the book is an experienced demon named "Screwtape" and he is writing letters to his nephew, an apprentice demon named "Wormwood" who has been assigned to a newly converted Christian man known only as "The Patient" - Wormwood's job is to see that this man is ineffective for God. Even though it is fictional, there are some very powerful and timely ideas communicated in the book about human behaviour. In Chapter 3, Screwtape writes about the Patient and his relationship with his mother which is in a bad state. His first suggestion to Wormwood is to keep the man's mind on his inner life - to make him so focused on himself and his personal spirituality that he ignores his relationship with his mother. This is where I got the above quote from: "...the most useful human characteristic is the horror and neglect of the obvious". Screwtape goes on to tell Wormwood: "You must bring him (the Patient) to a condition where he can practice self-examination for an hour without discovering any of those facts about himself which are perfectly clear to anyone who has ever lived in the same house with him or worked in the same office". The point is: DESTROY HIS RELATIONSHIPS BY MAKING HIM FOCUS ONLY ON HIMSELF.
This was true in 1942 and it is true today. We live in an age which glorifies the individual - relationships are only as valuable as they make us feel as individuals. What we do not see is the devilish spirit behind that kind of individuality - it takes away the good of US and replaces it with the good of ME. There is no greater formula for disaster than a self-centered spirituality. True spirituality is about being like Jesus Christ - this is a far cry from what people are propagating today. Always remember the instruction of the Apostle Paul: "Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:5-8, ESV)
Pastor Andrew Smith
[email protected]
"...the most useful human characteristic is the horror and neglect of the obvious" - Screwtape (The Screwtape Letters, Chapter III)
"The only way you can truly be yourself is to let God tell you who you are" - Anonymous
If you ever get the chance, read C.S. Lewis' book: "The Screwtape Letters". It is an interesting and creative approach to exposing the activity of demons and devils. The main character in the book is an experienced demon named "Screwtape" and he is writing letters to his nephew, an apprentice demon named "Wormwood" who has been assigned to a newly converted Christian man known only as "The Patient" - Wormwood's job is to see that this man is ineffective for God. Even though it is fictional, there are some very powerful and timely ideas communicated in the book about human behaviour. In Chapter 3, Screwtape writes about the Patient and his relationship with his mother which is in a bad state. His first suggestion to Wormwood is to keep the man's mind on his inner life - to make him so focused on himself and his personal spirituality that he ignores his relationship with his mother. This is where I got the above quote from: "...the most useful human characteristic is the horror and neglect of the obvious". Screwtape goes on to tell Wormwood: "You must bring him (the Patient) to a condition where he can practice self-examination for an hour without discovering any of those facts about himself which are perfectly clear to anyone who has ever lived in the same house with him or worked in the same office". The point is: DESTROY HIS RELATIONSHIPS BY MAKING HIM FOCUS ONLY ON HIMSELF.
This was true in 1942 and it is true today. We live in an age which glorifies the individual - relationships are only as valuable as they make us feel as individuals. What we do not see is the devilish spirit behind that kind of individuality - it takes away the good of US and replaces it with the good of ME. There is no greater formula for disaster than a self-centered spirituality. True spirituality is about being like Jesus Christ - this is a far cry from what people are propagating today. Always remember the instruction of the Apostle Paul: "Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:5-8, ESV)
Pastor Andrew Smith
[email protected]
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