Spiritual Lessons from a Children's Book

After completing Prince Caspian, I thought to myself ‘Well, I might as well continue reading.’ So I did. Yesterday/night I read the entire next book, (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader). I had forgotten why it was my favorite of the Narnia series.

The scene takes place on a small sail ship which belongs to Prince Caspian. I generally don’t care too much for novels of sailing and such, but this one is different. The spiritual truth that is hidden behind every word will make your head spin and your heart beat faster!

I don’t want to tell you too much about the book because I don’t want to ruin the story for you. But I will tell you this, as I was lying in my bed last night (or this morning rather) at 2am reading the last page in of the book tears were streaming down my face. Not tears like the kind you cry when someone has hurt you, but rather the kind you cry when you realize that you have hurt someone and are truly repentant.

I realized the lack of love, hunger, and sincerity that I have in my relationship with God, not that my relationship with Him is bad (some would say it is good) but I know that it can be SO much more. He desires to have a relationship with me (and you) that we cannot even comprehend or begin to dream about.

READ THIS BOOK! You won’t regret the use of time.

I am starting my journey to obtain a deeper relationship with God; I encourage you not only to do the same but to join me. We can help one another.

If you’ve read or are reading the book, how has it changed you? If you aren’t, when is a time in your life that something as simple as a children’s book has brought you to your knees before the Lord?

Narnia, anyone?

When the first movie in The Chronicles of Narnia series, (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) came out I was really excited to see it. I had never even heard of the books, or the phenominal C.S. Lewis beforehand. After seeing the movie in the theater I immediately decided I needed to read the books. So I set out to Mardel's and bought a 767 page book that encompasses all of the Narnia books. It took me about a month to read the 7 books. Some friends of mine and I spent many hours nestled up by a warm fire reading. After finishing the books, I felt sad. Sad because I wouldn't be going on any more Narnian adventures.

Now the second movie (Prince Caspian) has come out which is actually the fourth book if you are reading in order of which they were intended, not published. I saw it and decided to brush up on the real story of Prince Caspian once again. I finished it just today, the books are an easy read, if you start from the beginning. Over all I had about 4 hours invested in it (but that's beside the point, I'm always getting off track with extra details).

After having read it again and noticing the large gaps between the movie and the book, I like the book better. Go figure, who can beat the literary genius, Lewis?

This is one thing I have been wondering about though: what does the land of Narnia symbolize? I know what most of the symbolic attributes represent such as the Lion, different talking animals, people, etc. but I don't know about the actual place. Is it really a world, maybe the Christian journey, I'm not sure.

So give me your Narnian smarts! What do you think the land of Narnia represents, or does it have a meaning at all?

Movement

This is a gem of a quote that I found in Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. (I keep saying who it's by so you will read it!)

"There are only three kinds of people - those who are immovable, those who are movable, and those who move them!"
- Li Hung Chang

What kind of person are you? For real, think about it!

Another Quote Worth Note

I’ve been reading more from Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. Quotes as astounding as this one do not need to coincide with heavy-handed words so I will keep this particular blog brief.

“Pessimism and leadership are at opposite ends of life’s attitudes. . . God’s ideal servant is optimistic until every part of God’s work is done.”

I Picked Up a Book Today

I’ve taken the opportunity while sick to catch up on some reading. I’ve been reading several different books but I chose to pick up Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders today. My dad read it a while ago and has been trying to get me to read it for some time now; he says it will change my life.

I came across a passage in the book that I found to be truly profound. “True Leaders must be willing to suffer for the sake of objectives great enough to demand their wholehearted obedience.” Wholehearted obedience, what a concept, that means obeying with every portion of your mind, heart, will, and body. I generally obey God, but I don’t always want to. Sometimes it is simply because I know what the right thing to do is and I am doing it to be pleasing to Him. That is NOT wholehearted obedience.

So I began to wonder, ‘how can I wholeheartedly obey?’ This is a question that I haven’t quite found an absolute answer to yet. I know that by searching out God’s character more I will be more likely to follow His word without the thoughts of ‘man I really wish that I didn’t have to do this’. But it seems harder getting there than just that.

A quote from a little later in the book say, “People travel together; no one lives detached and alone.” So I am asking you all for your insight, I don’t want to walk alone. Help me out. What makes it easier for you to wholeheartedly obey?

There is more to come from this book as I get a chance to read and ponder it.