Rats!
Posted by Michelle on September 21st, 2006
I have rats in my cellar!
I knew today was the day for this post when I talked with a friend of mine who found out the rat in her basement had caused a costly amount of destruction in her home. But her problem might be easier to fix than mine.
We begin to notice, besides our particular sinful acts, our sinfulness; begin to be alarmed not only about what we do, but about what we are. This may sound rather difficult, so I will try to make it clear from my own case. When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected; I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself. Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated. On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is. Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth. If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.
~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (1952)
Now, I don’t expect this to be a post where we all reveal what rats lurk in our lives, but I do want to invite us to each do a bit of introspection. Perhaps if we are aware of the situations that expose the rats infesting our souls, we might know better how to seek the Lord’s grace to help us become more Christlike.
In latter-day language, those rats represent the natural man in us. This, of course, calls to mind the counsel King Benjamin gave about overcoming the natural man:
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
Elder Eyring’s most recent Conference talk then comes to mind.
From King Benjamin we learn what we can do to take us to that safe place [on the “rock which is the Savior”]. But remember: the things we do are the means, not the end we seek. What we do allows the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change us into what we must be. Our faith in Jesus Christ brings us to repentance and to keeping His commandments. We obey and we resist temptation by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. In time our natures will change. We will become as a little child, obedient to God and more loving. That change, if we do all we must to keep it, will qualify us to enjoy the gifts which come through the Holy Ghost. Then we will be safe on the only sure rock.
C.S. Lewis was wonderfully wise. He recognized that we alone cannot become what we need to become. We need Christ, for Lewis said, “everything which really needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God.” We do what we need to do so God can then do what only He can do.
What a blessing to have the fulness of the gospel, “a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32). May we do “all we can do” to enable the Lord’s grace to remove the rats from the cellars of our souls.
Wow. That CS Lewis quote is fantastic.
I know I have problems. One of the probelms I run into is that I don’t like being judged by others. I can get defensive fast. I was an Elder’s Quorum President for many years. I had frequent PPI’s with Stake leaders, and bishops. I often felt that there were people second guessing what I did and did not do. My recent post on missionaries was a spat brought on by being questioned and challenged and feeling ‘judged’ on what I was doing or not doing. And I felt this judgement was done by those who could not judge where my balance of self, wife, family, career, callings, duties, etc. should be. I quickly get defensive in such situations.
Pride? Vanity? Guilt? On my part? Maybe. But this problem will ocassionally put my attitude down. One of my weaknesses might be that I do not take hard counsel well.
Comment # 1 left by Eric Nielson on September 21st, 2006
We do what we need to do so God can then do what only He can do.
What exactly is it that we need to do? I am very well acquainted with my weaknesses (Rats); they’ve been around all my life–ever since I can remember. On several occassions I felt as though I had them more or less exterminated. Moreover, some of them I was sure would just die of old age. Yet, I am now finding the pesticide was weak and that rats are rapid and active breeders. It’s frustrating to say the least.
My question becomes: what is it I should be doing. I know what the typical answers are, and I feel that at times I do “do” them. But whenever I flip the light on, the rats still scurry. And boy are they ugly.
Thanks for the post. I think introspection is a long lost virtue and that it continues to wane in our society focused on facades and vanity!
Comment # 2 left by Wade on September 21st, 2006
Wade,
One of my friends told me about her mother who wanted the rats of anger to go away. She worked and did her best and prayed and stayed firm and true. And it took twenty years, but eventually that part of her nature was changed. I think sometimes patience is a necessary ingredient with the process, and perhaps part of enduring to the end, lest the rat of discouragement come and snip our toes.
Eric,
)
You are not the only one who has a hard time with taking counsel. I think those who don’t are actually the minority. Perhaps part of it piggybacks off of what Wade said…we work so hard to do what’s right and can so easily feel discouraged about what we aren’t doing anyway that sometimes it just hurts to have someone say there is something more to add to the list. (And sometimes people give counsel when perhaps they shouldn’t, too.
That said, when I’m honest with myself, usually there is wisdom in the counsel that would benefit me if I heed it.
But I sure as anything don’t like to admit it! (Yeah, well, there’s a rat.)
Comment # 3 left by mullingandmusing (m&m) on September 21st, 2006
One more thought, perhaps?
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their [rats]. I give unto men [and women] [rats] that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I [remove the rats from their cellar].
Ether 12:27, taken over by rats
Comment # 4 left by mullingandmusing (m&m) on September 21st, 2006
“Rats!, Why is it that I hit every #%^@! red light?”
“Rats!, We’re going to miss the kickoff because of all these Moron Utah rubber-neckers!”
Know anyone who is mellow, easy-going, and very likable who expresses wild-eyed anger over things they can’t control? Rats!
Comment # 5 left by Mike B. on September 24th, 2006
Mike,
Part of the reason I chose that title is because “Rats!” is my favorite inoculous (relatively) expression when I’m frustrated.
Comment # 6 left by mullingandmusing (m&m) on September 24th, 2006