A Far Better Risk
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesThe following excerpt from C.S. Lewis’ book entitled, “The Four Loves,“ gives dramatic emphasis to the risks involved in loving others as well as loving the Lord:
“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 an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or 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.
I believe that the most lawless and inordinate loves are less contrary to God’s will than a self-invited and self-protective lovelessness.
We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour.
If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as a way in which they should break, so be it. What I know about love and believe about love and giving ones heart began in this.”
Our Lord knew about the risks that true love brings, but was still willing to sacrifice His life for us, that we might experience true life in eternity (Romans 5:1-10; cf. 2 Corinthians 8:8-9).
Yes, there are risks in loving and following Christ, but there’s even a greater risk in not becoming a follower of Christ.
As C.S. Lewis said:
“The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”
Dear reader, loving and following Christ is a far better risk and alternative than finding ourselves in the never-ending suffering that Hell will bring (Matthew 25:46; cf. Matthew 8:12; Mark 9:43-48).
Let’s seriously think about it, and then be willing to obey the terms of salvation found only in the saving gospel of Christ! (Romans 6:17; Romans 1:16).
Related Article:
- Counting The Cost And Paying The Price