The Problem of Pain is an excellent book, and the chapter contains so much that it would be impossible to summarize, in this short of an essay, so I will not try. There was one section though, that really struck me. It is when Lewis is discussing divine humility. He says, “He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him, and come to Him because there is 'nothing better' now to be had.” Even when we come to Him as a last resort, or when given no other option, He still saves us.
Lewis' point in this section is that God uses pain to bring us to the realization that we need him. He accepts us coming to him because we realize we have “nothing better” than Him. We can complain all we want about the pain we go through, but God knows of the comfortable, that “The life to themselves and their families stands between them and the recognition of their need; He makes that life less sweet to them.” Our complacency blinds us to our need for Him, so He takes away our complacency. This is part of the answer to human pain. It exists to be God's “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
The wonderful side of this though, is that He does not required a good motive from us. He accepts those who come to Him because he is the alternative to Hell, as the last resort, that same as those who come to Him because they believe He is truth. Lewis says, “it is a poor thing, to strike our colours to God when the ship is going down under us; a poor thing to come to Him as a resort, to offer up 'our own' when it is no longer worth keeping”. He goes on, “If God were proud He would hardly have us on such terms: but He is not proud, He stoops to conquer”. That is the beauty of divine humility. Even in our admission of need we fall short, but God is gracious.
In a chapter filled with many topics, you chose a great one to discuss in your post. I also was really struck by the quote "He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him, and come to Him because there is 'nothing better' now to be had.” It is so amazing that God accepts us even if we accept Him only as a last resort. God's humbleness should be our inspiration to also have humility instead of pride.
ReplyDeletesuch a beautiful truth that you brought up at the end. God will accept us even when we don't want to accept him and turn to him as our last resort. However, if God is our last resort we are missing out on the fullness of genuine love centered relationship with him.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you choose the section about how we choose God as a last resort. This is so true and it proves that God is not at all proud in His dealings with us. It is so comforting to know that we serve a God who accepts us despite the terrible terms by which we come to Him
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