What the Cat in the Hat Teaches Us About Temptation - Part 4

In the last three posts, we've considered what the classic children's book The Cat in the Hat has to teach us about temptation. We've seen how boredom and negative feelings set us up for temptation. We've seen how when we are not prepared to reject something that is wrong, we often will fall for it. We've also seen how our conscience and other people sound the alarm when we head the wrong way. It becomes clear that when we ignore the warnings, we can count on a real mess.

If you haven't read the first three posts yet, you can check them out here.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Today, let's consider why merely knowing something is wrong is not sufficient.

The Fish’s Voice Isn’t Enough

When the "cat" shows up in our lives sometimes, only our consciences protest, but our wills have yet to come on board.  In the story, we find the single voice for what is right saying:

“You get out of this house!” said the fish in the pot.

Unfortunately, the cat was already there.  He liked to be there and refused to leave.  The kids had given him a right to be there when they did not kick him out from the start.  This was actually the first parallel I noticed between the story and our experiences with temptation.   

In the story, the fish could protest the cat’s presence all he wanted, but the cat was not obligated to obey the fish. In the same way, our consciences can scream all day, other people can warn us till they are blue in the face, but no one can make our personal “cats” go away until we engage our wills, choose to kick the cat out, and take back the house, so to speak.

Out of Control

Some people will listen to the “fish” at this point and take action to kick the “cat” out of the house.  They still have a mess to clean up, but nothing compared to what they will face if they fail to take action.  

You see, the cat has another trick up his sleeve.  Another “fun” game.  In the story, the cat runs out and then comes back in with a box.  In the box are two things that wreak absolute havoc in the house. 

Of course, the cat tries to pass “Thing One” and “Thing Two” off as being tame, innocent, friendly creatures that just want to show the kids a bit of fun.  

Once again, the fish sounds the alarm.  Once again, the cat tells the fish to “Have no fear!”  Once again, the kids are unprepared to make a decisive response.

“And Sally and I didn’t know what to do.

So we had to shake hands with Thing One and Thing Two.”

Once we are so far gone down the wrong road, we find that other things take over. We feel that we no longer have any choice in what we do, or say, or think. It seems that we HAVE TO do whatever “Thing One” and “Thing Two”, (whatever those Things are to us), tell us to do. 

This is the point where addictions kick in, full-blown affairs wreck marriages, health is completely broken, and compulsive thoughts and actions dominate lives.

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Today, we have seen that the voice of the "fish" whoever or whatever you consider that to be, is not enough to get rid of the the "cat". Does this sound like a depressing scenario? Unfortunately, many people live every day in such a situation. Thankfully, this is not the end of the story.  

Tomorrow, we will see how bringing our will into line with our conscience and the warnings of others makes all the difference.

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What about you?

Do you have a "Thing One" and "Thing Two" in your life? Something that you know is not good, but has a strong hold on you until you feel you are powerless to resist?  Have you perhaps had a "Thing" like this in your life in the past, but now are free. You may share anonymously if you like. Perhaps we can encourage each other to find freedom from the "cat" that just won't go away.

What the Cat in the Hat Teaches Us About Temptation - Part 3

In the post two days ago, we saw how bad feelings set us up for temptation, and if we are unprepared to reject the temptation, we are likely to fall for it. 

In yesterday's post, the "fish", a.k.a. our consciences, sounded the alarm, but the "cat" a.k.a. the Tempter gives us many reasons to ignore that warning.

Today, let's take a look at what happens next.

The Cat Wreaks Havoc

As we listen to the cat instead of the fish, we allow the cat to do more than talk.  Bit by bit, he makes a mess in our lives.  

Do you remember how it works in the story?  The cat began by balancing a few things on the tips of his fingers and on top of his hat.  Then he added more and more items to the balancing act, each time bragging, 

“But that is not all I can do.”   

It is the same with us.  Once we give in to temptation, we often find that just a little bit is not enough.  We want more.  A little more won’t hurt.  And then a little more, and a little more.  

Eventually, we reach the point where we cannot keep doing it all, and disaster catches up with us. 

“He came down with a bump from up there on the ball,

and Sally and I, we saw all the things fall.”

For the kids, the disaster came in the form of a messy house, things broken, bent and smashed.  For us, it can mean strained relationships, health problems, early signs of addiction, poor work performance, and so on.

“Now look what you did!” said the fish to the cat.

Just look at this house!  Look at this! Look at that!”

For us, whatever voices have been warning us that our particular “cat in the hat” would bring nothing but trouble might start screaming again.  

I told you this would happen!  

You made a mistake letting the cat get started in the first place.

In our minds, we might be saying, 

I have to stop this.   

This isn’t good.   

This is wrecking my life.

What are you to do when caught like that? There is a way out. But it's not easy.

Tomorrow we will look at the place of exercising our will if we hope to get rid of the "cat".

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What About You?

Has there been a time when you ignored the warnings and found yourself in a big mess? Are you there right now?