Tom Barnard

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more

in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern

what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ….”

(Philippians 1:9-10)

“It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative

effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing…

Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft

underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters

Some call it a myth. Others call it an anecdote. Its name is the “boiling frog syndrome.” Since the mid-19^th Century, scientists (and 21^st Century TV talk-show hosts and politicians) have used the story as a metaphor to describe the inability of people to react to important changes that take place gradually.

Basically, as the theory goes, a frog placed in a pot of cold water will remain in the pot while the water is heated, but only as the heating is very gradual. The assumption is that the frog will not perceive any danger and will eventually be cooked to death. (Caution: Don’t try this at home).

Lewis understood the concept, although he wasn’t referring to frogs dropped into boiling water. He was referring to human beings who are on the slippery slope to eternal damnation—“without milestones, without signposts.”  They may not even recognize the threat, until it is too late. In his book, When Bad Christians Happen to Good People (Waterbrook Press, 2002), Dave Burchett suggests that Satan uses a three-fold strategy to diminish the effectiveness of Christians—“Division, Diversion, and Derision.”

“Diversion” takes any one of several forms in the life of a Christian. Burchett names wealth, possessions, power, and prestige as typical forms of diversion. But diversion can also include work, hobbies, sports, and over commitment to legitimate endeavors. Whatever we do that takes our eyes off Jesus can be a diversion. When we devote time and energy to things that have no eternal value, we may be guilty of spiritual diversion.

Paul warned the Christians at Philippi to beware of such things. He prayed that his friends “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” For what purpose? That they may “be able to discern what is best” for them in their pursuit of godliness and holiness. Paul’s advice is still relevant today.

Heavenly Father, I pray for spiritual discernment to distinguish between the better and best, between the essential and optional. Help me to focus more on Jesus and less on personal enrichment. Lead me along the path to spiritual perfection—“blameless until the day of Christ.” In His Name I pray. Amen.