Christ shapes us through the lives of others

C.S. Lewis – “Christ works on us in all sorts of ways…but above all, He works on us through each other.”

These words from C.S. Lewis reminds us of the great importance of being together in fellowship with others that belong to the body of Christ. We may not always get along or agree on everything, but we are created to be in community.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25

Living in grace

D3LM3

The art of holding on

C.S. Lewis once wrote, "Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods."

We all experience ups and downs in life, and these situations can have a marked impact on our faith. C.S. Lewis challenges us to hold onto the promises of God, despite what our moods may be doing. In theory, this makes a lot of sense, but in reality, I still need a lot of practice to get this right.

This quote also reminds me of the question that Jesus put to his disciples when they were watching many others desert Jesus. 

"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve." - John 6:66-67

Thoughts: Has there been a time in your faith journey where you have felt like giving up? What helped you to hang on?

Living in grace

D3LM3

The scary part of love is that it makes you vulnerable

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” - C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

When Jesus loved his disciples, he made himself vulnerable before them. 

When Jesus loved the world, he unselfishly chose to make himself vulnerable, even though it cost him his life.

Most of us have offered love to someone else and then have been wounded in the process. If this is you, I urge us not to withdraw into the cocoon of our own lives, because despite our pain, there are still others who would be blessed by your life and heart.

Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis

Mere Christianity is a book written by C.S. Lewis and published in 1952. The origins of the book began as radio broadcasts that Lewis did for the BBC, and eventually came together in the book form. His work is known for its brilliant apologetics, as well as clear description of what it means to be a Christian. The influence of C.S. Lewis is immense, with many people speaking of how his gift with the pen, changed their lives. 

Out of interest, here is one of my favourite quotes from the book:

Keep nothing back.

Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.

Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead.

Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, 

despair, rage, ruin, and decay.

But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him, everything else thrown in.

Luke 9:23 - Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Living in grace

D3LM3

Where are we looking?

 

So often we spend so much energy searching for everything else, besides God. When we continue this pattern for a long time, we eventually grow restless and dissatisfied. C.S. Lewis reminds us of the simple adjustment we need to make in our Spiritual lives:

"Look for Christ and you will find him. And with Him, everything else." 

Matthew 6:33-34 - 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What do you think of this?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Life with God

"Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties." - C.S. Lewis

Jesus said the same thing 2000 years before C.S. Lewis, but this is still a hard reality for us to grasp.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

Jesus makes it clear that we will face difficulties, but that we will find our deepest peace in Him, and not in anything else.

May we learn to 'take heart' in the One who brings us Peace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What is the answer?

How often have you scratched your head wondering what the answer, to a troubling scenario, could be? As hard as you try, you just can't seem to come up with a suitable and satisfying answer? Is it possible, that as Christians, we are missing a valuable point? Listen to what C.S. Lewis writes:

“I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?”

Perhaps, the reason why we are not getting the answer we desperately seek, is because God wants us to know that he is the answer...period!

1 Chronicles 22:19 - Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

PLEASE NOTE: You can now sign up for the emails to come into your inbox again :) A big shout out to my friend Tyron for helping me again - he is a legend.

Follow this simple step: Go to www.delmelinscott.blogspot.com and you will see the block to subscribe - type in your email address and then look for the confirmation email sent through to you (be aware it may be sent through to your junk/spam folder.) THANKS for your support. 

Remembering C.S. Lewis

Forgive me for being a day or two late, but the 22nd November marks the anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis. Needless to say he left a huge legacy in the literary arena, as well as in the church context. To honour his life and his contribution, I have chosen a few of his lesser known quotes to share with you. 

May God bless you as you read these today.

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

“Crying is all right in its own way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.” 

“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” 

Which is your favourite C.S. Lewis quote of all time - please share it with me. Thanks.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Thoughts from C.S. Lewis

As we begin a new week, it is often good to reflect on the wisdom of those who have gone before us. One of the authors that inspires me is C.S. Lewis. In these 2 quotes he offers us some beautiful insight and food for thought.

"Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties."

"We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it."

John 14:1 (Living Bible) - “Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God, now trust in me."

May God bless you today. May you find the peace of Christ in your heart and mind. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Unexpected times

"Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them." - Ecclesiastes 9:11

Perhaps we could all agree that this year has been a very tough year for most of us and in some ways 2020 could be the 'evil times' that Solomon refers to in today's scripture. If I stop and take note of the fallout and the stress of this year, it certainly seems as if many people have been tripped up by the unexpected nature of Covid. These 'evil' and 'weird' times have trapped many good and godly people - we have become ensnared in issues we never dreamed would occur. 

In order to offer us hope, despite these circumstances, I want to remind us of the words of Jesus. He lived with the poise and balance that we all seek to have in our inner worlds. Jesus knew what his destiny and purpose was and he trusted his Father to guide him through the uncertainty of our world.

John 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Matthew 6:13 - And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

C.S.Lewis wrote - We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

First to speak

"In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines." - Proverbs 18:17

This proverb is so true. How often have you been involved in a challenging conversation with people and been convinced by the initial ideas put forward? The more you think about what is being said, the more you feel 'This is right!' 

However, as soon as you have let those ideas settle in your mind, then someone else comes along and presents an equally compelling argument. And then you are stumped! Mmm, what do you make of that argument now?

I guess, it is always good to hear both sides of any story, before you make a judgement. In trying to discern the truth, it goes deeper than just two good speeches - knowing something about the characters who are speaking also makes a difference.

Proverbs 18:21 - The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

"We are not living in a world where all roads are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long enough, will therefore draw gradually nearer and finally meet at the centre: rather in a world where every road, after a few miles, forks into two, and each of those into two again, and at each fork, you must make a decision." - C. S. Lewis

"Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come." -Robert H. Schuller

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Behaving Badly

 

"When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world." - C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity -1952)

There are a few insightful things that emerge from this quote for me:

1. Do you note how C.S. Lewis uses the word 'We'?
In making his challenge to the Christian community he is not pointing fingers at 'others', but recognising that in himself lies the danger of failing to represent Christ.

2. Our actions have consequences beyond our church context. We can make Christianity believable (or unbelievable) for those seeking God. Sadly, there are many of 'us Christians' who make our Faith hard to believe in.

3. People are looking for spiritual 'hope' and we can effectively point them to Jesus. This is a fine line for many of us, because we like people to notice 'us', when in actual fact, we should be deflecting all the attention onto Jesus. If people only see 'us', then our failures will be a stumbling block to others experiencing Christ.

What do you think?

Acts 5:32 - We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Wake me...

"Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start..." - Avicii (Wake me up)

These words from the band Avicii describe how many of us feel at times. It can seem as though life is like feeling our way down the passage when the lights go out. Our hearts are beating fast, as we hope that the lights come back on again soon. 

In my experience of faith and life (admittedly, this is still limited) I can't tell where the journey will end, but I do know that it all begins with Christ. 

 Romans 6:4 - We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. . .It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” -  C.S. Lewis

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A giant has fallen

Two weeks ago I was privileged to pay tribute to one of my greatest teachers, Dr. Neville Richardson, during our Teachers Appreciation service. I was grateful for the opportunity to pass these words onto him directly and to thank him for the influence he has had on my life. I'm glad I didn't miss this chance!

Today, we pause to mourn his passing. After a long battle with Cancer, Neville has now graduated to Heaven. We honour his life and offer our prayers for Carleen and the family.

I remember sitting in class listening to Neville teach me Systematic Theology, as well as asking his counsel on numerous occasions. He instilled in me a love for theology, church history and especially God. He encouraged me greatly in my writing and ministry. I am a better person and minister because of Neville. May you rest in Peace now my friend.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

"A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning." - Brad Henry

"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts."-  C. S. Lewis

Living in Grace
D3LM3 

P.S. The photo in the blog was taken during our Sabbatical many years ago - we spent a wonderful time with Neville and Carleen in Haworth (UK).

Do you 'find' it or 'experience' it?

Can I actually 'find' PEACE or do I rather have to 'experience' it? It may seem like semantics, but I am not sure that PEACE is something hidden that we need to search for. Rather I think it is a fruit of being in relationship with God (Galatians 5). When we draw nearer to Christ and allow the Spirit of Jesus to fill our hearts then we begin to 'experience' PEACE.

"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." - Psalm 29:11

The issue I have with pursuing PEACE is the fear that even though I may try hard to find peace, I may never actually get to enjoy it. If peace depends on my ability to track it down, then I am missing the nature of the GIFT of peace. Peace comes to us in the form of a welcome gift from the Father - it is a deposit of his GRACE and mercy.

Having just said this, I need to clarify that there are verses in the bible that encourage us to seek peace (Psalm 34). The peace that this speaks of, is rather the 'state of peace' (as opposed to being at War). What I am speaking about is 'inner peace' - if that makes any sense :)

Are you seeking peace in your life at the moment? Maybe you don't need to go all over the world to discover it - perhaps all we need to do is to create a space to allow God to encounter us with His peace. What do you think?

"While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart." -Francis of Assisi

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." -C. S. Lewis 

Living in Grace

D3LM3