"The Law of Undulation" - Our Human Condition (From The Screwtape Letters)
It was in 1942 The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis was released. The book is about a series of letters from a Senior Demon called Uncle Screwtape, to a junior demon -his nephew named Wormwood.
Each letter then is advice on corrupting a man’s soul and covers many different aspects of human life. As it is written from a demon’s perspective, Christians have to get used to the dialogue and characters, such as “the patient” - men, “our father below” -the devil, and “the Enemy” -God. If you have never read the book it is a must read for Christians, get a copy. One particular concept in chapters 8 & 9, the Law of Undulation perfectly describes my life and yours as well.
The Law of Undulation is explained by Lewis as the peaks and valleys humanity experiences in every area of our lives; our work, friends and, most importantly, our relationship with God. Our peak times are filled with feelings of excitement and fulfillment, where everything is new and exciting. Our valleys are full of sadness and disappointment. Humans (you and I) are naturally unstable and, according to Lewis, this roller coaster of feelings and emotions is the “nearest approach to constancy” that we will ever have in this life!
Do we need Christ!
Our spiritual life starts out in a new and exciting way but as we grow in grace and become the target of the world, the flesh and the devil suffering and confusion set in. We become frustrated and unhappy. The "honeymoon" is soon over and it seems God is MIA! We make decisions some good some bad and we mostly do so without prayer. We repeat a pattern in our lives that can only be changed by Christ and the Holy Spirit.
God seems to withdraw, (not in actual fact), but from our conscious felt experience of reality. Suddenly the emotional support and spiritual guidance which made obedience so natural and effortless is gone. It is in these seasons of life that God is calling us to carry out our Christian life without the emotional richness that his "felt" presence provides. Through this life process we grow into people whose wills are more fully conformed to his own and not so broken and sinful.
Our cries of desperation and confusion are heard by God. These prayers come from the deep places of our soul, our heart of hearts, where God sees our deepest and most persistent longings, commitments and desires.
We always intend to do God's will but do not desire it. This is why Christ said "Not my will but your will".
The Real World application of this Law is that THERE are real demons and evil people seeking to distract you from prayer, from worship form the Christian way of life. We often dismiss such things and lets face it most of us are too busy to care.
It is only after we begin to understand this Law that we can actually use of peak times to honor God and the people around us.
Our duties becomes a delight unto the Lord. We as fallen humans live in a world of duty. Someday we will transcend beyond duty into the presence of our Lord.
Matthew 25:21 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’