Resolution Distractions

C.S. Lewis' book The Screwtape Letters is like no book I've ever read. Screwtape, the narrator of the story, is an experienced demon, high up in the ranks of hell, and he's writing to his demon nephew Wormwood. The goal of the demons is to keep humans away from God in whatever way they can. In this scene, he describes to his nephew how there was one man who was a strong atheist who liked to go read in the British Museum. One day Screwtape noticed the man starting to think about God. Screwtape didn't like where his thoughts were headed, so he decided to intervene. However, he wasn't so foolish as to get the man to argue in his head about God, he points out to Wormwood. No, rather all he did was put a thought in the man's head that, "Hey, maybe it's time for some lunch." The man went on to leave the museum and his thoughts of God to get some food. 

I think a lot of people believe that Satan (if they believe in Satan at all) comes to tempt you to do wild outlandish sins. As if he's some man with horns in a red onesy trying to hand you a gun, or telling you to take heroin. Yet in this story, which seems much more sobering, he shows up as a seemingly insignificant distraction. On the verge of something so great, so revolutionary, the atheist gives up on it. Why? Because he's hungry?

I have very specific life goals at the moment, as you hopefully do too. As I look back over 2011 I can see that I was distracted numerous times in many ways. From entrepreneurial ventures to members of the opposite sex, there always seemed like there was something jumping out for my attention which in the end, pulled me away from where I know I want to get to in my life. And subtle! Sometimes they were so subtle. One text message can change the course of your life!

As the New Year has come, I've listened to many friends' resolutions. I'm so proud of some of them! I've heard the common goals such as going to the gym more, or spending less time on the computer, to other more unique ones like wanting to gossip less, and to be more humble. Truly good resolutions. As I read the above story, I wanted to remind and encourage anyone out there reading this that if your goals and resolutions aren't coming to be, it's probably not because you're a terrible murderer. It's because you got distracted. You got hungry, so you quit. But press on! Keep going! And if that means cutting out some things or people which are distracting you from who you want to be, then do it! 

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

                                                                                                           -Matthew 5:30