Mere Christianity

If I thought I had a decent grasp on what I claim to believe as a Christian, this book by C.S. Lewis made me realize that I have a lot left to learn.

As I read it, one of the thoughts that kept plaguing my mind was if everyone I witnessed to read this book, maybe they would be more interested in becoming a Christian.

One of my co-workers asked me if I could lend him this book last year and after he finished reading it he said, "It actually made a lot of sense!"

I'm not sure if he made any life-altering decisions after reading Mere Christianity, but I know that he would have at least been forced to think more deeply about life.

Personally I think that everyone should read this book as it offers wise perspective on what life is about from the point of view of someone who was an atheist - turned - Christian.

While I would love to nicely summarize the entire book here in this post, I cannot. Even to choose a few quotes to comment on is a great challenge that I barely managed:

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good."
From the time I was a small child I've tried to be as good as I can be but I am still not good. Though some people may think that I am good, that's by their own standards. God's standard of what is good is also holy and perfect. I cannot reach His standard on my own no matter how hard I try. Every truly good thing that I do is done with God's help because only He is truly good. I am faced every day with temptations that remind me that I am inherently bad and desperately in need of God's help to do what is right. (Luke 18:19)

"On the one hand, God's demand for perfection need not discourage you in the least in your present attempts to be good, or even in your present failures. Each time you fall He will pick you up again. And He knows perfectly well that your own efforts are never going to bring you anywhere near perfection. On the other hand, you must realise from the outset that the goal towards which He is beginning to guide you is absolute perfection; and no power in the whole universe, except you yourself, can prevent Him from taking you to that goal."
I have to remember that the Christian life is hard because I am fighting against myself to follow God. When things are difficult, I need to remember that it is because God is taking me on a journey to perfection where I need trials to challenge me to be more patient, more loving, and to have more faith. (Philippians 1:6)

"If you are a nice person - if virtue comes easily to you - beware! Much is expected from those to whom much is given...But if you are a poor creature - poisoned by a wretched upbringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels - saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion - nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends - do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed."
I used to think that it was merely a simple choice to be nice or not. Even that everyone ought to be nice and that it wasn't necessarily easier for some than others. I have been dreadfully wrong. Though I am thankful that being nice has come easily to me, I am ashamed to admit that I have judged those who struggle with it; thinking that they were just nasty people by choice. Oh Lord help me to see that I need You more as I wrestle with my pride and fight against the temptation to judge those who find being nice difficult. Only You know what is going on in our hearts. (Luke 5:31-32)

If anyone would like to read this book, and I highly recommend that you do, here is a link to a pdf copy: http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/vc/pdfs/MereChristianity_CSL.pdf

Just Five Minutes

That is all it would take for me to keep my bedroom perfectly clean and organized.

I remember back when I was in high school and a guy from church was helping a friend and I figure out how to lead the christian club at school. Along with giving us some great Bible study and prayer time tips, he also offered us some advice regarding organization. He said, "Just five minutes is all it takes to keep your room clean. At the end of each day, set a timer for five minutes and spend it tidying up and I promise that your room will never be messy."

Before I go on a road trip with some friends, I need to clean my room. Not that it is terribly dirty or anything...I would call it strategically cluttered. Meaning that there are small piles of clutter around the room in places that are not in my way (this is key). Like there is a pile of stuff on the side of the bed I don't sleep on, books are in piles on the floor in front of my bookshelf, random papers are in a pile on my dresser with jewellery strewn atop and beneath, a grocery bag holding some candy is chillin in a corner on the floor, dirty clothes occupy another corner, I also definitely need to vacuum and dust everything. Though I can function in it, I definitely do not enjoy the current state of my room and would prefer to come home to a clean space.

Had I been following the "just five minutes" rule, cleaning my room would not be such a daunting task. Since I ran into the guy who gave me this advice at work today, I recalled his words of wisdom and now wish I had listened and took action to make it a habit back in high school to keep my room clean.

Now perhaps I will be motivated to put this into practice after I spend an hour cleaning and realize how much less exhausting "just five minutes" is. :)