—

In response to St. Augustine’s conclusion that it’s best not to love too much the things of this world because they will not last, C.S. Lewis says the following:

“I am a safety-first creature. Of all arguments against love none makes so strong an appeal to my nature as ‘Careful! This might lead you to suffering.’

“To my nature, my temperament, yes. Not to my conscience. When I respond to that appeal I seem to myself to be a thousand miles away from Christ. If I am sure of anything I am sure that His teaching was never meant to confirm my congenital preference for safe investments and limited liabilities. I doubt whether there is anything in me that pleases Him less….We follow One who wept over Jerusalem and at the grave of Lazarus, and, loving all, yet had one disciple whom, in a special sense, he ‘loved.’ St. Paul has a higher authority with us than St. Augustine—St. Paul who shows no sign that he would not have suffered like a man, and no feeling that ought not so to have suffered, if Epaphroditus had died (Philippians, II, 27)…..

“There is no escape along the lines St. Augustine suggests. Nor along any other lines. There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket and coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell”
–C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, 110-112

• Genesis – Deuteronomy
• Joshua – Esther
• Job – Song of Solomon
• Isaiah – Malachi
• Matthew – Acts
• Romans – Philemon
• Hebrews – Revelation

God certainly does have a wonderful plan for those who love him:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

However, we may err in our expectation of the implications of this truth, particularly with respect to this present life.

In my high school rock band, probably 9 out of 10 songs we played were Lynyrd Skynyrd songs I still occasionally play Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama on my acoustic.

Shortly after my high school days, I came to understand that I was a sinner and, more importantly, that Jesus Christ had paid the penalty for my sin by his sacrifice on the cross – good news indeed!

Not long after that I was attending a Christian concert and while the warm-up band was playing I noticed that the pianist was very good and sounded familiar. Sure enough, it was Billy Powell and he talked for a bit after the song about becoming a Christian.

Comments from Gary Rossington’s wife Dale in the news article above indicate that Billy continued in his faith until his death. It’s quite sad for Billy’s family that he’s gone, but the fact that he had been reconciled with his Maker before his death makes all the difference in the world.

I encourage you to consider the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is a good presentation of it:

Two Ways To Live

“It Is Well with My Soul” is a very influential hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss. This hymn was writ­ten af­ter two ma­jor traua­mas in Spaf­ford’s life. The first was the death of his only son, shortly followed by the great Chi­ca­go Fire of Oc­to­ber 1871, which ru­ined him fi­nan­cial­ly (he had been a weal­thy bus­i­ness­man). In 1873, while cross­ing the At­lan­tic, all four of Spaf­ford’s daugh­ters died in a col­li­sion with an­o­ther ship. Spaf­ford’s wife Anna sur­vived and sent him the now fa­mous tel­e­gram, “Saved alone.” Sev­er­al weeks lat­er, as Spaf­ford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daugh­ters died, he was inspired to write these words.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

I hope you can say, “It is well with my soul.” If not, I appeal to you to consider the gospel of Jesus Christ. The following material may be helpful in that regard:

Two Ways To Live

Brian