Master Mentor #15

Chapter 14 (Book 3, Chapter 4)
CS begins this chapter by turning to a discussion of what the “Christian idea of a good man (or woman I would assume) is – the Christian specification for the human machine.” And he has a discussion of the choices that we make and how that affects who we are as people. Then he says this:
“People often think of Christian morality as the kind of bargain in which God says, ‘If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if you don’t I’ll do the other thing.’ I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself.”

In my estimation, CS is right on with this. Many people do have the notion that being a Christian or a follower and lover of Christ, means that you have to do this and that and that other thing (i.e. go to church, be nice, give your money at the church when they pass the plate, hat or bag depending on where you go and an assortment of other things). But it would seem to me that each decision that I make either turns me a little bit more and more toward God or away from God.
When I get up the morning, I am faced with however many hundreds or thousands of decisions. Brush my teeth or not? Shower or not? Breakfast or not? And then I leave for work and I have a hundred more decisions. Which way to work? Randall? Peck? What kind of music? Should I listen to a podcast? And each of those decisions while trivial may bring me closer to God or further away from God. Even a simple decision like brushing my teeth means that I am taking care of the body that God has given me so that it can continue to serve me and I can continue to serve God with it long into my life. A simple decision like listening to music or a podcast could have a huge impact on my day. Maybe I would listen to a daily devotional podcast that at some point come up in my day and prepare me to handle it better. Or maybe by listening to a specific type of music, I am more prepared for the day.
And I realize that in the midst of all of these things, it’s easy to get lost. It’s easy to drive yourself with all the possibilities. My hope and prayer is that God is somehow leading my decisions and helping direct me into a path that leads me to making decisions that bring me a little bit closer to Him. That I would make decisions that would bring me into more harmony with the Creator of the universe, my fellow man (and women) and with myself.

Good stuff.

Jim