Scripture
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffer; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
PSALM 1
Quotes/Color
“‘They were nice people, I think,’ said Digory. Polly nodded. All the faces they could see were certainly nice. Both the men and the women looked kind and wise… But after the children had gone a few steps down the room they came to faces that looked a little different. These were very solemn faces. You felt you would have to mind your P’s and Q’s if you ever met living people who looked like that. When they had gone a little further, they found themselves among faces they didn’t like; this was the middle of the room. The faces here looked very strong and proud and happy, but they looked cruel. A little further on they looked crueler. Further on again, they were still cruel but they no longer looked happy. They were even despairing faces; as if the people they belonged to had done dreadful things and also suffered dreadful things. The last figure of all was the most interesting – a woman even more richly dressed than the others… with a look of such fierceness and pride that it took your breath away.”
From C.S. Lewis’ “The Magician’s Nephew
Context
In C.S. Lewis’ first book of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician’s Nephew, characters Digory and Polly, both children, found themselves in the land of Narnia for the very first time. In this encounter, the land of Narnia was surprisingly… desolate and lifeless. (No Aslan yet mind you. He comes later.)
In the quote above, the children were inside a castle of sorts. Exploring their first impressions of Narnia. And one of the first things that they saw was a long long line of former rulers of the land of Narnia. Hundreds upon hundreds in a straight line. Picture hundreds of men and women, all dressed in royal garb, sitting in a long line of thrones, completely still, like wax figures.
Nearest to the children were the very first rulers of the land of Narnia – the ones who first established their traditions. (Narnia’s George Washington.) And each ruler to the right of the previous was the person who took over the throne from the previous (Adams equivalent, Jefferson equivalent, etc…). Until a hundred rulers later, there sat one woman, the most recent ruler of Narnia.
But along the way we see a progression of Narnia’s leadership, which I dearly love. It’s as follows:
- First – “Kind and Wise”
- These are the people who founded something special. They were nurturing and tender.
- Then – “Solemn and Troubled”
- “Kind and Wise” handed off to “Solemn and Troubled” – as the wise moved on, the kingdom loses its direction and stability
- Next – “Cruel and Proud”
- Since “Solemn and Troubled” loosened the grip, lacking confidence and skill, “Cruel and Proud” was glad to take the reins. Wielding power for their own benefit.
- Last – “Cruel and Distraught”
- Finally handing off to “Cruel and Distraught” – years of exploitation and selfishness has led to a kingdom a shadow of what it once was, still selfish, but now full of [regret]
Application
Let’s try to take some applications from this.
Fun Fact: Did you know that astronauts have to work out about 2 hours a day when they are in outer space? Not a joke. 2 hours a day. If they don’t, their muscles weaken and atrophy, their bones soften and become brittle. Gravity engages muscles and bones automatically at every second – when you take it away, astronauts have to find other means to prevent this process.
Isn’t that interesting? You go to outer space and experience these great heights… But flying that high for that long doesn’t come without its costs. You go long enough without being “brought back down to earth”… and you’re weakened as a result. Fascinating.
(Secular part of the analogy over. Here comes that good ‘ole Baptist hook!)
The Good ‘Ole Baptist Hook
Life is the same way. For the sake of this argument, let’s allow “gravity” to represent “humility/groundedness” before God.
As Christians, the more we elevate ourselves (like the rulers of Narnia) and the longer that happens, the more God’s attributes will atrophy and weaken within us. Until we turn into something else entirely.
The longer period of time you think too highly of yourself and aren’t brought down to
earth by gravity/humility, the more your character will atrophy. We can see it in the example from the Magician’s Nephew. You start with kindness and wisdom, groundedness… But if your heart goes uninspected for a long enough period of time, it snowballs into wickedness.
Gravity keeps us where we need to be. Humble and below the heavens. Below the maker of heaven and earth. As long as we stay there, in a position humbly beneath God, good things will not atrophy to evil. If we elevate ourselves too much and discount the importance of humility before God, good will atrophy to evil over time.
Something to Chew On:
- Are you watchful of your character? Careful to make sure it doesn’t go unchecked?
- Where in your life have you seen a slow progression into sin/wickedness? What can turn you back to a pure heart before God instead?
- Have you become too proud and forgotten your standing before the God of all creation? If so, in what specific ways?
Great Value Proverb:
Time + Carelessness = An atrophy of character