Readings for today: 2 Samuel 22-23, Psalms 57
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done. ' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.” - C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
I thought about these words from Lewis when I read 2 Samuel 22:26-28 today. “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless person you show yourself blameless; with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the proud to bring them down.” There is a reciprocity to our relationship with God. He promises to draw near those who draw near to Him. (James 4:8) This is not a “works-righteousness” philosophy. This isn’t about earning God’s favor or trying to win your way into heaven. It’s simply a recognition of the reality that those who truly seek God with all their heart will quite naturally find themselves longing to draw near to Him. Longing to be more like Him. Longing to take on the characteristics and qualities God has revealed about Himself. God is merciful and gracious so the “God-seeker” will naturally want to become merciful and gracious themselves. God is blameless and righteous so the God-seeker will naturally want to follow God’s law and obey His commands. God is pure and holy so the God-seeker will naturally separate themselves from anything resembling sin. And the key to becoming this kind of person is humility. Dying to self so that we might live for the glory of God alone.
Now here’s the really crazy thing. Through the wonders of neuroscience, we now know that the thoughts, attitudes, and actions we engage in literally shape and re-shape our brains. Myelin sheaths form along our neural pathways which, in turn, become self-reinforcing. It’s why it’s so hard the older we get, the harder it is for us to change. Some patterns have just become too ingrained. Hopefully, our parents helped us set godly patterns when we were young. Setting our feet on the path towards righteousness so that when we got older we didn’t depart from it. Sadly, far too many of us had sinful patterns of selfishness, greed, addiction, indulgence, etc. as our parents mowed down every potential obstacle, insulated us from every disappointment, and protected us against all hardship and pain. The result is not only a lack of resiliency and an unwillingness to grow up and take on responsibility but even more tragically, we have become proud and self-centered. We demand our own way and we refuse to submit even to God.
What do we expect will happen when we come before the judgment throne of God at the end of our lives? Do we really expect a person who has spent a lifetime pursuing their own ends and chasing their own dreams to suddenly do an about face? Do we really expect a person who has spent a lifetime accumulating great wealth and indulging every desire and pursuing every pleasure to suddenly surrender these things to God? Here’s the hard but honest truth. God will not force anyone to spend eternity with Him. No one ends up in a place they did not choose. Even now, we are charting a course towards heaven or hell. The thoughts, attitudes, and actions we engage in are shaping us and preparing us for where we will spend eternity. What kind of person are you? What kind of person are you in the process of becoming? Are you intentionally cultivating a way of life that says to God, “Thy will be done” or are you intentionally cultivating a way of life that says to God, “My will be done?” There is no middle ground. There is no neutral territory. You are either on the path towards heaven or the path towards hell. Let the Spirit set your feet on the narrow path that leads to salvation!
Readings for tomorrow: None