We Live...Starved For Solitude, Silence, and Privacy

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” C.S. Lewis

Privacy is a rare commodity; solitude is virtually extinct; and most of us start getting worried when we experience lengthy silence.  It is, quite frankly, a recipe for disaster.  C. S. Lewis talks about true friendship as stemming from the deepest part of a person, from the secret place of the soul, the inner chambers of true self. We are built to live in community, yet silence, solitude and meditation are critical for spiritual growth, to examine ourselves, and as we learn of ourselves, learn to be a good friend.  It is no coincidence that time for devotions is often referred to as, “quiet time.”  God’s voice is most clearly heard in silence, solitude, and privacy.

Please understand.  There are many who read this that are lonely, and are sick of the solitude.   The pain of loneliness is a terrific burden.  As I mentioned above, we are built for community.  Yet, for most of us, we need to learn to value solitude and silence.  We need to learn to value it because it is so important to be able to meditate and to develop a true friendship with God.  And it really is about learning to value it because setting aside time for silence to be alone with God is choice.

Most of us live in a very busy world. It is dangerous. Busyness withers the soul.

In silence, solitude and privacy we find friendship…with the God of the universe.   

Your Whole Life Is A Continuum Toward Wholeness or Destruction

‎"Your life is a continuum where wholeness is on one end and destruction is on the other. Each decision you make is moving you one direction towards wholeness and peace with God, or away from Him." C. S. Lewis

I have a friend that often reminds me that, "There is no such thing as the status quo; change is inevitable.  We are either improving or going backwards." He is right, and C.S. Lewis applies this principle to our relationship with God.  There are, however,  two unfortunate things. 

First, most of us tend to like the status quo. We don't like change.  We like where we are at and are fearful of messing up a good thing.  We fail to truly understand that, in the case of the Christian, all change is good, even change that brings about pain.  Instead of being wary of change, Christians need to be people who enthusiastically embrace change.  Roosevelt's oft quoted saying, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" is truer for the Christian than for anybody else because we have the assurance that all things, even painful things, will benefit us.

The second unfortunate thing is that being fallen, we tend to sabotage our path to wholeness.  As Paul said in Romans, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want." (Romans 7:18-19). The key is to acknowledge our tendency, to embrace the forgiveness that is made available to us, and to repent, that is, turn back around and head toward wholeness. There is never a time when you have gone too far down the road of destruction. We can always turn back toward God. 

True wholeness is found only in Him.  When we are not moving toward Him, we are ultimately on the path of destruction.  Make a decision today to move toward wholeness, that is, to move toward Him.

Pain But Without Stain

“God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.”  C.S. Lewis

Like many of sentences written by C.S. Lewis, this one sentence is packed with a host of powerful truths.

First, God foresaw all of our tribulations. This is not insignificant.  Often, if you are like me, our first thoughts when the inevitable trials come are something akin to, “God has forgotten me.”  We subconsciously feel that God is supposed to protect us, and since He is not protecting us, then He has forgotten about us. 

Which brings us to the second truth, namely He has not only not forgotten about us, but He has specially prepared us to survive.   For one thing, we have a Savior who suffered immensely and was tempted in every way. For another thing, the Holy Spirit works in our lives now to comfort (Romans 8:26), to guide (John 14:26), and to intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:26).

The third truth is simply that we will suffer pain in life, but that He will bring us through it without stain and actually in better shape than we were. This truth has to be hammered home, however. Namely, we can be walking perfectly within God’s will, but we will still suffer pain.  The “prosperity gospel” will tell you otherwise. It says that if you are suffering it is because you do not have enough faith.  As far as I am concerned, that is a carefully crafted lie by the Devil himself.  No, you can be walking perfectly in God’s will, and you are still guaranteed to suffer.  God does not protect us from pain.  We will metaphorically suffer bruises, bumps, and broken bones.  The greatest comfort of all is, however, that God will take those injuries, heal them, and bring us through it stronger.

Amen, what a Savior! 

The Danger of Goodness

Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger — according to the way you react to it." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity


Have you ever been in a life situation where life "couldn't be going better", where everything is going swimmingly, or at least so you think?  Let me ask you something.  At such a time, how was your relationship with Christ?


There was a period in my life where I was "successful" by every measure the world has. I was making piles of money, had a pretty girlfriend, and lots of friends.  And how was my relationship with Christ? It was probably the time in my life where I was the lowest spiritually.

We all want to live the "good life", yet there is a serious danger in too much goodness. When everything is going well, we tend not to "pick up our crosses daily"; we tend to become arrogant and / or lethargic about spiritual matters. As Zig Ziglar said, "Success makes failures out of too many people."   


I am not saying revel in misery.  Yes, continue to try and live the good life.  Never, ever forget, however, that the success of every endeavor is from the Lord and that if life is good, it will only stay good as long as we react properly -- with thanksgiving to a God who gives us good gifts.  


All is a gift from Him...

Holiness Is Not Dull...It is Irresistible

"How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing...it is irresistible." C.S. Lewis, Letters To An American Lady

I saw a friend recently whom I  have not seen in close to seven years.  Ed is the pastor of a church I used to attend and we used to have tremendous discussions.  He helped me tremendously during a very difficult time in my life.

When I saw Ed this time, I was struck by the fact that it did not seem like he had aged a day. Even though he must be in his mid-fifties, he could easily pass for being ten years younger. Ed is also just a pleasure to be around.  He listens well and has a warm laugh.  Life just seems...richer when Ed is around.  In Ed's case, he is among the most "holy" people I know.

The point is that "holy" people are anything but boring. Holy people people are warm...they listen well... they are just as much about you as themselves...they are honest...and generally, there is a gleam in their eye.  They laugh easily because they have few cares.  At the same time when life turns deadly serious, there is no one whom you would rather have in your corner.

Becoming holy is hard work.  It often involves the smelting pot of life to remove the impurities from our lives.  Becoming holy always involves dying to self so that the Christ can be evident.  Yet, life becomes richer as we become more holy.

Whatever the case, never believe that holy people are dull; holy people are irresistible.  We need more holy people. 

Can you think of people in your life whom you consider holy but who are completely irresistible?       

We Meet No Ordinary People

“We meet no ordinary people in our lives.” C.S. Lewis

There are, by best estimates, currently approximately seven billion people in the world. Each person is unique; each person has a purpose; each person extraordinary. We always must watch ourselves when we begin to believe someone is ordinary. There is not a soul that exists for whom God did not sacrifice His son. Everyone has worth, not based on their abilities, intelligence, beauty, or any other reason other than the fact that each of us is made in the image of God and because God values us. We have value because He deems that we are valuable. If we are valuable to our Creator, then we are valuable indeed. Whenever we begin to doubt someone's worth, we must always remember their worth to God. 

Now, I am not going to say that it is always easy to see the image of God in someone. Sometimes it is buried under rudeness or greed or pride or just plain badness. Nevertheless, even "bad" people are not ordinary. There is someone reading this who is wondering what their value is. Life has been full of disappointment and you wonder if God has abandoned you. My friend, I have been where you are at. I would just encourage you to hang on; life will get better. In the meantime, as difficult as it is, hang on to the truth that you have value, that God has a purpose for you, and that you are far from ordinary. 

Let's all renew our attitude toward each other and treat everyone as if they are extraordinary because each one is.

There Is One Vice Of Which No Man In The World Is Free

“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit….” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

Of all sins, pride is the most dangerous.  It was the first sin, but it is also a source of almost every sin because sin, at its heart, is the belief that, “we know best.”  And pride is such a tough thing to battle; it pokes its head up everywhere.  The moment we think we have it beat, the simple fact that we think we have it beat becomes a source of pride.

It is so easy to spot pride in someone else, isn’t it?  Yet, it can be difficult to see when we are prideful.  It is Satan’s main weapon and he does everything he can to mask it in our lives.

The opposite of pride is humility.  Humility does not mean thinking poorly of ourselves. Rather, it is not thinking about ourselves at all.

Easier said than done, right?  We must be constantly vigilant to fight this dreadful cancer. And we should be people who extend grace to people who are battling the disease of pride.