A Look at the Bones for the Soup

“we must be satisfied with the soup that is set before us, and not desire to see the bones of the ox out of which it has been boiled.”

—JRR Tolkien

I've had some private responses to my last post, and some questions.  Shouldn't I have focused on Liberalism or Atheism or something of the like instead of the Christian who tries to do what is right?  So going against the advice of Tolkien, I'm going to detail some of the "bones" which went into my Leerwort Letters.

In reading this, it would be a mistake to reason "Either Conservative or Liberal.  He's writing against conservatives.  Therefore he approves of liberalism."  Rather I was writing in this respect: Most of the readers who seem to come by this blog and comment do seem to have some interest in seeking to do what is right before God.

Now of course, the Devil doesn't just give up just because we repent and follow Christ.  In our early days as Christians, the devil may seek to call us back to the old allures.  However for those who persevere and trust in God, some of the old temptations will not be as effective.

The Devil seeks to hit us where we live and to deceive us to go from saying to God "Thy Will Be Done" to saying "My Will Be Done."

Some of the "advice" given by Leerwort is inspired from things I've seen friends and family go through.  However, for the deepest insights into the temptations of the would-be faithful Christian, I've had to look inward, not outward, and to see the temptations within myself daily.

Of course for every person, whether believer or atheist; whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, the Devil does want us to put ourselves first and to think we do not need to be helped.  "It's the attitude of I'm fine.  YOU need help!"

If the Devil can deceive us in this way, we become unaware of this block to opening our hearts to God's grace and love.

So the person who looks at that article and views it as saying "Only certain people are in the right" that would be a view which is against what I intend.  All of us have things we cling to, which we ought to reject, and all of us should seek to repent of these things.