Narnian Thoughts...

I had a thought the other day. You know how in the cartoons someone will have a significant thought pop up in a bubble above their heads? It was kind of one of those moments. Those of you that know me know that I read a lot. I don't just read a lot, but I usually read several books at the same time.

One of the series that I'm reading through right now is The Chronicles of Narnia. I was reading 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' and I started thinking about how it's always obvious to me, the reader, when someone is getting ready to do something they shouldn't.

The one instance that stands out in my mind is when Lucy is in the Magician's house...she's upstairs in a room and she is reading through his Magic Book, trying to find a spell to make the Dufflepuds visible again. She comes across a spell that will let you know what your friends think about you and even though she knows she shouldn't say it, she does. And of course she doesn't like what she hears. And of course we, as the readers, are silently shouting at her just not to do it. Don't do it Lucy. Don't hear things that are not meant for your ears because they'll only bring you grief. It will only displease Aslan.

In reality this is how sin is a lot of the time. We know we shouldn't indulge ourselves...but really, it's not THAT bad. We justify. I didn't do that 'really big thing' that I knew I shouldn't but really wanted to do. So I'll do this little thing instead. For us, the consequences of the two sins are probably really different. But in reality, they're the same in God's eyes. Aslan let Lucy suffer the consequence of her decision...He let her wonder if she had forever spoiled a friendship because she listened to something that wasn't meant for her ears. Keeping from sin is about pleasing a holy God. But it's also about consequences. By my choices and my decisions I can make my life harder or easier. I can choose to obey and follow God...who, let's face it, knows the consequences of my sin and hopes that I'll choose to follow Him instead. Or I can choose to do things my own way.

It's not always as easy to know between right and wrong. Lucy's choices seem clear to us...but to her it was more muddied. If we listen to that still small voice our choices become more clear. If we truly seek the Lord our choices become more clear. If we delve into his Word and spend time talking to him our choices become more clear.