"I must warn you not to hope too much from a war. Of course, war is entertaining. The immediate fear and suffering of the humans is a legitimate and pleasing refreshment for our myriads of toiling workers. But what permanent good does it do us unless make use of it to bring souls to Our Father Below?...Let us therefor think rather how to use, than how to enjoy, this war. For it has certain tendancies inherant in it which are, in themselves, by no means in our favor. We may hope for a good deal of cruelty and unchastity. But if we are not careful we, we will se thousands turning in this tribulation to [God], while tens of thousands who do not go so far as that will nevertheless have their attentions diverted from themselves to values and causes which they believe to be higher than the self. I know the enemy dissaproves many of these causes. But that is where he is so unfair. He often makes prizes of humans who give their lives for causes He thinks bad on the monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were following the best they knew."
I don't get this. I've always been taught that there's only one way to save your soul: to believe and confess before witnesses that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that he died on the cross and was ressurected for your sins, and then be baptised into Christ. Doing your best and being a good person in life should, of course, be done, but for it's own sake. It isn't supposed to be enough to save you.
"[God's] human partisans have been plainly told by Him that suffering is an essential part of what He calls Redemption; so that a faith that is destroyed by a war or pestilence cannot have been worth the trouble of destroying. I am speaking now of diffused suffering over a long period such as the war will produce. Of course, at the precise moment of terror, bereavement, or physical pain, you may catch your man when his reason is temporarily suspended. Then again, if he applies to [God's] headquarters, I have found that the post is nearly always defended."
This has probably been one of the Devil's most useful tactics in my case. When I feel discouraged, vain, angry, etc., it seems like he's swooped in and done his worst on me so quickly, I don't have time to turn to God for help before whatever I've felt has already taken it's toll on me for the worst.
NsomniAna · Sat Jan 12, 2008 @ 05:14pm · 0 Comments |