Thanks bro. Here's what C.S. Lewis had to say about duty:
"A perfect man wd. never act from a sense of duty; he’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people), like a crutch, which is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times; but of course it’s idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (or own loves, tastes, habits etc) can do the journey on their own!"
You're forced to do a thing. (Which is what it felt like going to church as a child).
Then you can have above that doing the thing merely from a sense of duty. (Which happens later when you become a member but don't really desire to go).
Then you can be like David saying, I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.
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I don't know if I would agree with never acting from a sense of duty...but I get that he is talking about a perfect person.
When the scripture says don't neglect the assembly of yourselves together - sticking with the church attendance example - if I go to church out of obedience to that text, I'm doing something commendable in God's eyes.
Still I can go to church because I know it's right and not get as much from it as is available because I am not eager, not expecting, not attentive, etc.
Thanks bro. Here's what C.S. Lewis had to say about duty:
"A perfect man wd. never act from a sense of duty; he’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people), like a crutch, which is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times; but of course it’s idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (or own loves, tastes, habits etc) can do the journey on their own!"
https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/04/10/c-s-lewis-letters-to-children/#:~:text=A%20perfect%20man,on%20their%20own!
Yep.
I would say there are 3 possibilities I see.
You're forced to do a thing. (Which is what it felt like going to church as a child).
Then you can have above that doing the thing merely from a sense of duty. (Which happens later when you become a member but don't really desire to go).
Then you can be like David saying, I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.
****
I don't know if I would agree with never acting from a sense of duty...but I get that he is talking about a perfect person.
When the scripture says don't neglect the assembly of yourselves together - sticking with the church attendance example - if I go to church out of obedience to that text, I'm doing something commendable in God's eyes.
Still I can go to church because I know it's right and not get as much from it as is available because I am not eager, not expecting, not attentive, etc.
Yea.