Master 238: The Little Things
"The Christian way is different:... Christ says 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.'" (Mere Christianity, 196-197)
This is one place where C.S. Lewis tries to encapsulate what is meant by and involved in the "Christian way". The tone may strike some as rather harsh and exacting. And even for long-time Christians it can conjure distasteful notions and impressions, of self-denial, mortification, and asceticism. Many have the uneasy sense that serious Christianity involves selling everything you have, living out of a cardboard box, being perennially outcast, having to say 'no' to everything that you have ever enjoyed or cared about, doing missions work in an alien and hostile environment, always being poor, always being hungry, always lacking. Even many Christians seem to operate under the idea that serious Christianity would most likely mess of their lives.
There are lots of things that could be said in response to this reaction that many people have when confronted with the idea of real devotion or commitment to Christ. One would involve asking whether we are really thinking through the picture of God that is operating in the background here. What does it reveal about our view of God that we are unwilling or fearful of trusting Him? We may say that we have placed our faith and confidence in Him, but is that really the case?
One might also point out that, once you really get clear on what the way of Christ leads to, what does it say about us that we're willing to forego that. I've used this example before: on at least a couple occasions, I've heard preachers joke about how you shouldn't pray for patience. Because learning patience involves being placed in tough circumstances; and if you pray for patience, God will place you in those tough circumstances. --But isn't some of the humor that comes from this point a kind of guilty humor? Because how many of us hear that and then go on to pray for patience. Probably not many. And the reason for that is that we have the sense that to seriously pursue patience would involve our becoming worse off. Imagine that: thinking that by becoming patient people, we would be worse off! Of course most people don't actually entertain that explicit thought; they just act in accordance with it.
Both of these responses could be explored in greater depth, but I want to focus on a different response. After saying all these things about giving all and killing the natural self and surrendering desires, you might expect Lewis to follow up with some very weighty applications. But that's exactly what He doesn't do. Having presented this way and acknowledged the seriousness of it, he writes as follows:
"That is why the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fission's and fretting; coming in out of the wind." (198)
Isn't it interesting that Lewis doesn't start with selling all your possessions or moving to a foreign mission field. He starts at the place you least expect: at the very moment you wake up each morning. That's where the difference is made. That's where the battle is won or lost. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I think that we often and seriously underestimate the importance of starting your day in just the way that Lewis describes.
When I wake up in the morning, thoughts about what I've got to do today are right there waiting for me. Very often cares and worries that I took to bed with me are still there as well. And if there's something that's especially urgent or stressful, that's going to be right in my face. The temptation is to jump immediately into the routine of washing up, showering, dressing, eating breakfast, gathering my books, going to school, and the sequence of things to do can easily run on continuously and without interruption until the end of the day when I finally lay my head down to sleep. It may take some very deliberate reflection to realize that I have actually surrendered the power to determine how I feel and think about myself to those tasks. Whether those tasks are pleasant or burdensome determines whether I am happy or sad for the day. Whether the people I need to deal with are friendly or bothersome determines how at ease or stressed out I am. Have you found this to be so with you.
What if we were to base our feelings on something different? What if, instead of focusing on our responsibilities, to-do lists, and appointments, we focused on our heavenly Father. What if, instead of thinking about what we've got to accomplish, we remember what Jesus Christ accomplished. What if, instead of working ourselves up or amping up for the tasks ahead, we actually stopped and prayed to the Holy Spirit for help and power. And I'm not just talking about throwing a "Help, God" over your shoulder on the way out the door. I'm talking about actually taking time.
Of course, some people (especially those who have never done it) will be skeptical of my recommendation. Even some who have tried it will say that it's really not that helpful. One question, at least, to consider in response: Have you really, honestly tried it? --have you really thought carefully about what you're doing and trying to accomplish? --or have you just spent the ten minutes because your Sunday school teacher told you to without really understanding why or how you were supposed to get anything out of it. It's funny that in many areas of life, we recognize the importance of discipline and making steady progress. We understand that playing scales is boring but that it is necessary for learning to play an instrument well. We understand that weight training is arduous but that it is necessary for developing professional-quality athletic skill. We understand in so many fields that mastering the basics is the foundation for everything that comes afterward, but for some reason, where spiritual matters are concerned, all that competence seems to evaporate and we actually think that we ought to be able to find gratification instantly. How absurd.
--
I'm going to wrap this blog up by looking at one episode from the ministry of Jesus. I want to invite you to look at it in a slightly different way:
'And a certain ruler questioned [Jesus] saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.'"
And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." And when Jesus heard this, He said to Him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
But when he had head these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich.' (Luke 18:18-22)
Now some people will be puzzled by my selecting this passage. I've been trying to say that what really matters in the Christian way is the little things, not the big things. Yet Jesus confronts this man, whom He's meeting for the first time, with just one of these big things. The man wants to follow Jesus and Jesus immediately asks Him to give up everything. What's the deal?
I think understanding this one episode requires having a much bigger picture of how God works--one that can only come from looking at the character of Jesus' entire ministry. But I'll make a suggestion here about how we should think about this. Part of our problem is that we are tempted to focus on particular actions, whereas Jesus is much more interested in character. So when the rich young ruler says that He's kept all the commandments, we are inclined to take him at his word. Even if we doubt his credibility, we will tend to focus on the question of whether he has actually carried out the commandments or not. But Jesus is more interested in character. And that is what He is testing in this episode.
The rich young ruler asks what is required to inherit eternal life. He claims to have kept all the requirements of the law. What Jesus then does is test his character. "So you claim to have kept all the commandments. Then you must be a person of strong character. You must have a deep love and commitment to your parents. Not only to your parents, but to all people. Your care for them means that you will not treat them in a sexually degrading way. You care about people's property. You value them and so live honestly, openly, and transparently before them. In your business dealings you are always above bar. You are respectful of all people and feel deep compassion for those in need. And above all, you must have learned that keeping God's commandments is the very best thing for you. Since you understand that, since you have such an incredible love for God and for people, a desire to be obedient, a yearning for what is good and right, and an abiding trust in God's faithfulness and goodness, go ahead and sell your possessions, distributing the funds to the poor, and come, follow me.'
Again, I'm building a lot into the passage that comes from a picture of Jesus' way of operating that extends beyond just this passage. But do you see what Jesus might have been getting at. Do you understand what that rich young ruler was saying in claiming to have followed all the commandments? Maybe he didn't understand what he was saying. But Jesus understood that he was claiming to be radically devoted to God. And Jesus pointed out that He really wasn't. And the sad end to the story reveals, not so much that this ruler was unwilling to be wholly devoted to Jesus, but that he actually was not wholly devoted in the little things. If he had truly worked out the little things all the way, then he would have been ready to eagerly lay down everything at the feet of Jesus. (In fact we have stories about people who did just that in the early chapters of the book of Acts.)
Now if you're not at that place in life where you're ready to hand everything over to Jesus, don't sweat it. Above all don't pretend that you're ready to hand everything over. That will just make you a liar and a hypocrite. Instead, start attending once more to the little things. Make sure that you've got the basics down. Those are the foundation on which it is possible to build a really stable life.
[There's always more details and qualifications and clarifications that need to be put in than I can put in. But I'll have to leave that at that.]
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
This is one place where C.S. Lewis tries to encapsulate what is meant by and involved in the "Christian way". The tone may strike some as rather harsh and exacting. And even for long-time Christians it can conjure distasteful notions and impressions, of self-denial, mortification, and asceticism. Many have the uneasy sense that serious Christianity involves selling everything you have, living out of a cardboard box, being perennially outcast, having to say 'no' to everything that you have ever enjoyed or cared about, doing missions work in an alien and hostile environment, always being poor, always being hungry, always lacking. Even many Christians seem to operate under the idea that serious Christianity would most likely mess of their lives.
There are lots of things that could be said in response to this reaction that many people have when confronted with the idea of real devotion or commitment to Christ. One would involve asking whether we are really thinking through the picture of God that is operating in the background here. What does it reveal about our view of God that we are unwilling or fearful of trusting Him? We may say that we have placed our faith and confidence in Him, but is that really the case?
One might also point out that, once you really get clear on what the way of Christ leads to, what does it say about us that we're willing to forego that. I've used this example before: on at least a couple occasions, I've heard preachers joke about how you shouldn't pray for patience. Because learning patience involves being placed in tough circumstances; and if you pray for patience, God will place you in those tough circumstances. --But isn't some of the humor that comes from this point a kind of guilty humor? Because how many of us hear that and then go on to pray for patience. Probably not many. And the reason for that is that we have the sense that to seriously pursue patience would involve our becoming worse off. Imagine that: thinking that by becoming patient people, we would be worse off! Of course most people don't actually entertain that explicit thought; they just act in accordance with it.
Both of these responses could be explored in greater depth, but I want to focus on a different response. After saying all these things about giving all and killing the natural self and surrendering desires, you might expect Lewis to follow up with some very weighty applications. But that's exactly what He doesn't do. Having presented this way and acknowledged the seriousness of it, he writes as follows:
"That is why the real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fission's and fretting; coming in out of the wind." (198)
Isn't it interesting that Lewis doesn't start with selling all your possessions or moving to a foreign mission field. He starts at the place you least expect: at the very moment you wake up each morning. That's where the difference is made. That's where the battle is won or lost. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I think that we often and seriously underestimate the importance of starting your day in just the way that Lewis describes.
When I wake up in the morning, thoughts about what I've got to do today are right there waiting for me. Very often cares and worries that I took to bed with me are still there as well. And if there's something that's especially urgent or stressful, that's going to be right in my face. The temptation is to jump immediately into the routine of washing up, showering, dressing, eating breakfast, gathering my books, going to school, and the sequence of things to do can easily run on continuously and without interruption until the end of the day when I finally lay my head down to sleep. It may take some very deliberate reflection to realize that I have actually surrendered the power to determine how I feel and think about myself to those tasks. Whether those tasks are pleasant or burdensome determines whether I am happy or sad for the day. Whether the people I need to deal with are friendly or bothersome determines how at ease or stressed out I am. Have you found this to be so with you.
What if we were to base our feelings on something different? What if, instead of focusing on our responsibilities, to-do lists, and appointments, we focused on our heavenly Father. What if, instead of thinking about what we've got to accomplish, we remember what Jesus Christ accomplished. What if, instead of working ourselves up or amping up for the tasks ahead, we actually stopped and prayed to the Holy Spirit for help and power. And I'm not just talking about throwing a "Help, God" over your shoulder on the way out the door. I'm talking about actually taking time.
Of course, some people (especially those who have never done it) will be skeptical of my recommendation. Even some who have tried it will say that it's really not that helpful. One question, at least, to consider in response: Have you really, honestly tried it? --have you really thought carefully about what you're doing and trying to accomplish? --or have you just spent the ten minutes because your Sunday school teacher told you to without really understanding why or how you were supposed to get anything out of it. It's funny that in many areas of life, we recognize the importance of discipline and making steady progress. We understand that playing scales is boring but that it is necessary for learning to play an instrument well. We understand that weight training is arduous but that it is necessary for developing professional-quality athletic skill. We understand in so many fields that mastering the basics is the foundation for everything that comes afterward, but for some reason, where spiritual matters are concerned, all that competence seems to evaporate and we actually think that we ought to be able to find gratification instantly. How absurd.
--
I'm going to wrap this blog up by looking at one episode from the ministry of Jesus. I want to invite you to look at it in a slightly different way:
'And a certain ruler questioned [Jesus] saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.'"
And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." And when Jesus heard this, He said to Him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
But when he had head these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich.' (Luke 18:18-22)
Now some people will be puzzled by my selecting this passage. I've been trying to say that what really matters in the Christian way is the little things, not the big things. Yet Jesus confronts this man, whom He's meeting for the first time, with just one of these big things. The man wants to follow Jesus and Jesus immediately asks Him to give up everything. What's the deal?
I think understanding this one episode requires having a much bigger picture of how God works--one that can only come from looking at the character of Jesus' entire ministry. But I'll make a suggestion here about how we should think about this. Part of our problem is that we are tempted to focus on particular actions, whereas Jesus is much more interested in character. So when the rich young ruler says that He's kept all the commandments, we are inclined to take him at his word. Even if we doubt his credibility, we will tend to focus on the question of whether he has actually carried out the commandments or not. But Jesus is more interested in character. And that is what He is testing in this episode.
The rich young ruler asks what is required to inherit eternal life. He claims to have kept all the requirements of the law. What Jesus then does is test his character. "So you claim to have kept all the commandments. Then you must be a person of strong character. You must have a deep love and commitment to your parents. Not only to your parents, but to all people. Your care for them means that you will not treat them in a sexually degrading way. You care about people's property. You value them and so live honestly, openly, and transparently before them. In your business dealings you are always above bar. You are respectful of all people and feel deep compassion for those in need. And above all, you must have learned that keeping God's commandments is the very best thing for you. Since you understand that, since you have such an incredible love for God and for people, a desire to be obedient, a yearning for what is good and right, and an abiding trust in God's faithfulness and goodness, go ahead and sell your possessions, distributing the funds to the poor, and come, follow me.'
Again, I'm building a lot into the passage that comes from a picture of Jesus' way of operating that extends beyond just this passage. But do you see what Jesus might have been getting at. Do you understand what that rich young ruler was saying in claiming to have followed all the commandments? Maybe he didn't understand what he was saying. But Jesus understood that he was claiming to be radically devoted to God. And Jesus pointed out that He really wasn't. And the sad end to the story reveals, not so much that this ruler was unwilling to be wholly devoted to Jesus, but that he actually was not wholly devoted in the little things. If he had truly worked out the little things all the way, then he would have been ready to eagerly lay down everything at the feet of Jesus. (In fact we have stories about people who did just that in the early chapters of the book of Acts.)
Now if you're not at that place in life where you're ready to hand everything over to Jesus, don't sweat it. Above all don't pretend that you're ready to hand everything over. That will just make you a liar and a hypocrite. Instead, start attending once more to the little things. Make sure that you've got the basics down. Those are the foundation on which it is possible to build a really stable life.
[There's always more details and qualifications and clarifications that need to be put in than I can put in. But I'll have to leave that at that.]
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 1:42 PM
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