SORTING OUT THE THOUGHTS THAT INFLUENCE MY LIFE AND ETERNAL DESTINY

SCRIPTURE:
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. 
Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 
(Matthew 10:28)

MEDITATION:
When we are cruising down the highway, 
we are wise to obey any warning signs we see.
Whenever we see “detour ahead”, 
we know to prepare for taking an alternate route.
If we see a sign that says “dangerous curve”, we know to slow down.

We have learned to depend on these warnings and to heed what they say.
But what if there were no signs posted along the way?
We could be plunging headlong into dangers, 
and not realize it until it was too late.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see the warning signs whenever Satan 
is luring us away from the Lord and into the lifestyle he wants us to live?
Whenever we turn from one thing, by default we are turning to something else.
If we show the Lord our back, then we are facing the evil one.
And conversely, if we show Satan our back, then we are facing 
the One who holds the keys to our peace, joy and eternal destiny.

In one of his books, C.S. Lewis said, 
“the safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft 
underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts".
Lewis was raised in a religious family that attended the Church of Ireland, 
but at the age of 15 he became an atheist.
He described himself as “being angry with God for not existing”.

The transition to atheism was not a sudden, 
but a gradual shift of his focus and interest. 
His early separation from Christianity began when he started to view 
his religion as a chore and a duty and at the same time, 
he also developed an interest in the occult. 
Lewis expanded his studies to include researching those topics.
Satan caused him to have a distorted view of connecting with the Lord, 
while at the same time creating an interest in the things that are ungodly.

That’s how Satan works, isn’t it?
No sudden changes, no warning signs, 
but just a subtle shift of focus from good to bad.
The first step in his tactic was to ‘disconnect’ Lewis from the Lord 
so that a void would be created that Satan could fill 
with ‘connecting’ him to the evilness of the occult.

The good news is, even though (according Lewis) he
“vigorously resisted conversion, noting that he was brought into 
Christianity like a prodigal, kicking, struggling, resentful, 
and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape”, 
he had a friend (J. R. R. Tolkien) who helped him 
to disconnect with evilness and connect with the Lord.

Jesus gives us definitive warnings in God’s Word. 
Why would He take the time to succinctly tell us where to focus?
Because He loves us, knows how easily we can be enticed by the evil one, 
and wants everyone to avoid eternal punishment, 
so they can spend eternity with Him.

Look what Jesus said 
when He used the parable of a wandering sheep that was found.
“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that 
any of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:14)

ACTION:
Are there areas in your life where Satan is utilizing the first step in 
his tactics to cause you to view things of the Lord as burdensome tasks?
In his subtleness has he caused you to be judgmental of other believers, 
to justify disobedience of God’s commands, 
or used any other tactics to cause you to disconnect with the Lord?

At the same time, 
has he succeeded in luring you toward worldly and ungodly things?
Do you find yourself becoming defensive 
whenever others suggest that you are drifting away from the Lord 
and shifting your focus toward selfish desires?

Tolkien risked his friendship with Lewis to help him change 
from being an atheist to becoming a man connected with God 
and having a desire to point others to Jesus.

There may be people in your own life who Satan has convinced you to view 
as a threat to your happiness and way of life, 
but remember those may be the very ones God has inspired 
to reach out to you as you drift further away from the Lord.
They can see you sinking into a mindset 
of justifying the things Satan has been able to persuade you are okay.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the warnings You have provided in Your 
Word. Forgive me if I have allowed Satan to lure me away from You. Help 
me to appreciate those who care about me, and to realize that You choose 
others to warn me of Satan’s activity in my life, even if it means risking 
the loss of a friendship. Help me to learn that any harshness of warnings 
from friends and family are not condemnations, but rather expressions of 
love and concern for me and my destiny. Teach me to be aware of, and reject 
the tactics of the evil one.”