I finally started reading the Chronicles of Narnia a little while back. As far as reading level is concerned it definitely isn’t a book intended for adults, but there is still plenty in them that we can learn from. It is not necessarily something completely new, but the way C. S. Lewis puts it can make you think about it in a new way.
Most recently I finished The Magician’s Nephew. There were a couple scenes in particular that stood out to me. One of them is as follows:
“Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals,” said Digory.
“I’m sure Aslan would have, if you’d have asked him,” said Fledge.
“Wouldn’t he know without being asked?” said Polly.
“I’ve no doubt he would,” said the Horse (still with his mouth full). “But I’ve a sort of idea he likes to be asked.”
God knows what we need before we say anything. As the horse said about Aslan, there is no doubt about that. Yet scripture tells us numerous times to pray.
Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Those are just a few of the verses that talk about prayer, but even from that small sampling it is made clear how important it is. And He always answers. We may not like the answer, but we also have the promise that in all things, the Lord works for the good of those who love Him.
Another part that stood out to me was when the protagonists were sent to find a tree and bring a piece of the fruit back to Aslan. There is a sign that reads:
Come in by the gold gates or not at all
Take of my fruit for others or forebear
For those who steal or those who climb my wall
Shall find their heart’s desire and find despair.
There is a clear connection to Genesis. The fruit on this tree looked and smelled delicious- it was “good for food and pleasing to the eye.” But what happened when Adam and Eve ate the fruit? They became aware of good and evil, which they had not been before, but it was also then that sin entered the world.
Take a look at the last line again. The first part sounds great. If you eat the fruit you’ll find your heart’s desire? Who wouldn’t want that? I mean really, what kind of despair can come from getting what you want? In the case of the book, it meant immortality, but being miserable the entire time because of her evil heart.
Let’s take a look at what happens if we apply it to ourselves. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says:
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
We can do anything. This verse is proof of that. You want to go out drinking until 4:00 every morning? Go ahead. You want to steal that 100 dollar bill someone dropped in the parking lot? Have at it.
But what happens to your co-workers when you’re late to work or simply can’t keep with your responsibilities? And how about the person who had that $100 for medicine that they desperately needed?
There are many things that may seem fun for a time. We see others doing it, and we want to join in because they all look so happy. But what is the point in that if it is hurting someone else – and likely yourself in the long run? If you have read “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” or seen the movie, you know that the witch ends up losing even her immortality in the end.
It can be hard to turn away. Digory was tempted to take an extra piece of fruit to bring home (with the intention of giving it to his mother), despite having clear directions from Aslan and the warning on the sign. We are tempted every day in various ways. We all have times that we give in- it is part of our human nature. But if we have support from others who are on the same journey it can be a big help- and of course, we can always ask God for strength and guidance (You did read what I wrote above about prayer, right?). And when we do make the wrong choice, it doesn’t mean that we have lost it all- we have this promise and a song that I will leave you with for today:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
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