Tag Archives: C.S. Lewis

The Humiliation of Doubt

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Ghost fear

Ghost fear (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

C. S. Lewis, in his book “The Problem of Pain”, speaks of the difference between a fear of fleshly harm and that of spiritual harm.  If there were a tiger about to attack us we would feel a certain fear.  But if we were told there was a ghost about to harm us we would feel a different fear; that of dread.  The fear of  bodily injury is not the same as spiritual injury.  One is tangible.  The other is “other worldly”.

All Christians must deal with this concept in one vain if they are to be successful in their worship of the Most High God through the sacrifice of Jesus.  We must believe that God is good despite the appearance of harm and evil that surrounds and attacks us.  Isn’t this the very point of contention between faith and worldly thoughts?  The athiest ignores the concepts we promote based on this barrier between good and evil.  It should not be so with those who say they believe.

Some have told me that it is ok to doubt from time to time.  “It’s just a natural response to the unknown.”  Or so they told me.  However, after a few decades of following Jesus, I find this far too simplistic to hold with any serious intent.  I look back at when I doubted and count those weeks, months, or years as utter failure.  We are not encouraged to put up with doubt.  We are commanded to believe.

I don’t blame anyone for my own failures.  But I wonder what it would have been like for me to continue in belief through out my entire experience with Jesus.  I am caused to wonder, though useless trivia now, who and where I might be now if I had continued steadfast in my trust.

We are all of this place of testing.  And we all have a similar story about doubt.  It is the point of this post to encourage a hatred of doubt and a love of trusting faith.  Regardless our present experience, there is coming a place where we will regret not trusting.  We would be wise then to wear a trusting faith more and more.  We dress the body for the sake of the moment.  Shouldn’t we also learn to stop walking around spiritually naked?

Speak Now, or Your Children’s Children Will be Silenced.

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c. 1482

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In response to a lament of the current state of affairs in the world, I responded, “Nothing is ever won by a defensive posture.  Winning requires an aggressive offense.  The more Christians speak up, the less room for the anti-Christian values to prosper.”

 

 

 

Perhaps you think you can’t talk about Jesus in public.  And perhaps you’re right.  Perhaps you know so little that you can’t really add much to the debate between wickedness and godliness.  But consider this:  Every day millions of words are being written and spoken against Jesus and His perfect values among His people.  And every time another word is uttered against Him, space is taken from Christians to speak of what is true.

 

With this in mind, I think it’s clear that if we don’t speak “something”, we are losing ground.  In the end, we will become the hunted.  Though this might be the case regardless how we go on the offensive, we still live in a free society.  You didn’t inherit this place of freedom of speech from those who kept silent in the face of opposition.  Your grand children will not inherit a free society if you keep silent.  What you hold dear is being undermined by those who would be quite happy to see you simply disappear (regardless the method).

 

Either speak now, or keep silent when your rights are taken away.  Do you really think evil will allow you to worship Jesus when they finally take over all the power structures of this world?  Surely you’re not that blind to their agendas.

 

You don’t have to be a “Know-it-All” when it comes to Christianity.  All you need to start doing is mentioning the name of Jesus, virtually everywhere you speak.  The first few times are difficult to muster the strength to utter.  But soon, you’ll find speaking of Jesus comes naturally and easily.  If you can’t speak of Christianity, out of whatever keeps you back now, at least link to it on your facebook page or blog.  And if you don’t use either of those, simply refer to Christian authors often (such as C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.  Or perhaps John Bunyan’s “Pilgrims Progress.)

 

Speak up folks.  The time for offense is nearing an end.  Personally, I know it’s an opinion, I think we have less than 5 years left to make a dent in the way this world is headed.  My life is full of things that others can attack.  I have not led a godly life very much.  Yet, I will still speak of Jesus, for the sake of His Holy Name and His people.

 

By His Grace.

 

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