Showing posts with label C.S. Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C.S. Lewis. Show all posts

Monday, March 4, 2013

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

"We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us." ~ CS Lewis

It is so tempting to want to hold back part of ourselves (or all of ourselves), giving God only the "good" parts of us or what we feel is acceptable. When in reality, Jesus is what makes us worthy, not anything we can do on our own or any super feats we have accomplished.

God asks that we lay our lives before Him. Total surrender. Giving Him every part of us. Our whole selves. Holding nothing back.

He asks that we lay before Him all that is in us.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

He takes our weak places and displays His strength and power to the world.

He has been known to use the foolish things to confound the wise.

He takes our mistakes and turns them into a message of forgiveness.

It's easier to believe God looks at our struggles and failures and turns His back. But He doesn't. He sees all of us and still...invites us to come.

Is there something you're holding back?

Don't wait until you feel "ready." Surrender now and watch God's power within you transform you and change you from the inside out. And expect Him to use your life as a message to bring hope and healing to those around you!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27


In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7


Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19





Saturday, September 25, 2010

Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven (C.S. Lewis)

(This entire post is taken from The Soul of C.S. Lewis by Martindale, Root, and Washington, pg. 134)

(Read my book review on this book).

Let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.  Spread Your protection over them that all who love Your Name may be filled with joy.
Psalm 5:11

Do we take joy seriously?  How many of us stood in vacation Bible school in younger years, clapping and singing, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," feeling anything but joyful and just wanting to get to the good part - the snack?  Many of us were not taught to take joy seriously as children, and we take it no more seriously as adults.

One problem is that we don't have a good idea what joy really means.  We think joy is something we're supposed to have when we aren't happy but are expected to have a good attitude anyhow.  For most of us, joy seems more like a martyr complex than like the wild celebrations described in the Bible.  People danced uncontrollably with joy, wept with joy, made music, and had feasts.  Joy is not meant to be a grin-and-bear-it situation. It is exuberant and free and more than happy - not less than.  And joy, says Lewis, is the serious business of heaven.

What a crazy thought!  Isn't the serious business of heaven...serious?  Like chanting in Latin or serenely playing a harp - everyone calm, no one really happy.  If that's what we think, how much we have missed!  We often imagine heaven to be like an exercise in spiritual discipline, but we forget that one of the most neglected spiritual disciplines is celebration, which is directly linked to joy.  If the serious business of heaven is joy, then imagine the levity and the laughter we have to look forward to: heads thrown back and dancing with an exhilarating kind of joy.  Perhaps we can take a cue from David (and others in the Bible), as well as from Lewis, to begin practicing now for this most serious business of heaven. Why not be daring and begin today?  With laughter, celebration, thanksgiving, and praise, we can join the host of heaven in the delightful practice of joy.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Book Review: The Soul of C.S. Lewis


THE SOUL OF C.S. LEWIS

Author Jerry Root
Produced by . Livingstone
Author Wayne Martindale
Author Linda Washington 

ISBN:978-1-4143-2566-8

Release:August 2010



The words of C.S. Lewis always seem to speak directly to my soul.  His ideas and beliefs and the magical way he shares them awaken creativity, imagination and life from the center of my being.  I cannot read enough of his thoughts.

This compilation of quotes from twenty-six of Lewis's works was a brilliant idea.  The authors  masterfully expound on some of Lewis's best ideas taken from the books represented.  Written like a devotional, its is easy to pick from any page and start reading, as each page offers treasures of its own.

The Soul of C.S. Lewis was meant for "the seasoned Lewis enthusiast, for those who want to be introduced to Lewis, or for anyone looking for personal growth." The reader, no matter which category he finds himself in, will surely benefit from this book and have a hard time closing its pages.  It is one that will quickly become a favorite to its readers and added to their home libraries to be read over and over again.

(This review is on behalf of Tyndale House Publishers who has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.)

I Review For The Tyndale Blog Network