Chapter 14: Humility

In Chapter 14, Screwtape did a great job in describing what humility can do for a person. The patient has realized that it is not perpetual virtue or grace for life that his desires, but instead the daily pleasures while escaping the daily temptations. It seems as if life is much easier and you can be much happier if you do not expect to receive the world, but you must realize that good things can come each and everyday. However, Screwtape, being the educated person that he is on the Enemy and his work, knows what comes of humility and tells Wormwood to try to use pride as a way to distract the patient. Further from this Screwtape states that Wormwood can make the patient believe that in the end humility is merely believing that your talents are less valuable than they really are.

Screwtape then describes Gods meaning of humility is loving yourself as much as you love others. God does not want us to think less of ourselves and our talents, but he also does not want us to dwell on them. The key to mastering humility is not thinking about it, but merely appreciating yourself as much as you do your neighbors and God. I feel like this would be a difficult skill to have, however with making yourself aware of others talents and also of your own talents, over time I believe we can all become more humble.

Chapter 8

Wow, I really liked this chapter. First of all it was fairly easy to comprehend which is a plus, but also it just spoke about God the way I have always thought about him and then more. Although Screwtape is trying to bash God, he is really praising him. Screwtape paints this amazing picture of God, for I love when he says "He is full and flows over" but explains himself as "empty and would be filled". This is so true ,God wants to full us but does not need to be filled in return; however evil and the devil does not fill us but only takes from us. God wants to love and be there for us, but he does not expect anything in return but love!
It is so interesting how Screwtape describes the way in which God responds and acts towards people. He does not come to them and fill them with astonishment so they will follow. Instead, God comes to us at first, but then he allows us to live our lives and choose to follow him. He also is not only there for the peaks in our lives but more for the hard times. He wants to walk with us when times are rough not just be there for the good times. However, Screwtape brings up the point that hard times also bring opportunities for evil to make its way into our lives. This chapter really touched on significant things dealing with the differences between God and evil.