Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I was familiar with this story before reading it, but reading it made it sink so much deeper and really hit home the message of the book. I also very much relate to Jekyll/Hyde. In fact the past few days I felt a little like Hyde inside and in some respects wanted to be him. It is a story of wrestling with good and evil. Though clearly not a Christian text, there are elements of truth in it. Like Jekyll, I sometimes want to let out the evil side with out any repercussions or consequence to my name.

Don't you? 

That's what Satan tempts us with, the idea that "freedom" is something that comes with no boundaries, no rules, no laws, no morals. Jekyll thought it would be freeing and in one sense it was. But the ultimate toll it took on him cost him is life. And it is the same with sin. As we flex the muscles of sin they become stronger and destroy our conscious.

But thankfully, God has provided us with His Son so that in Him, we can live and not give into the evil side over and over until we have no conscious. Christ died that we might live in True ultimate freedom under the loving guide of our heavenly Father. God is the one who tells us how to live and declares what life should be. I am thankful to be in Christ and that I can overcome the flesh through Him. I'm thankful that God allows us to wrestle with Him.

No, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde says none of these things, but it is what I got from this book. It was a timely read for me and God used it in a powerful way to speak to me.

I highly recommend this book not only for what you can learn of humanity in it, but because it is beautifully written and a well crafted story.