Giving All to Christ; excerpts from Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis
taken from: Foster, Richard J., and James Bryan Smith, eds. Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups. San Fransisco: HarperCollins, 1990.
1-3. Jesus’ call for discipleship always sounds so radically to me. He says to count the cost before following him, for the cost is dying to yourself and taking up our spiritual cross. I didn’t count the cross when I first became a believer. I thought that God would take my sins away and life would become easier. God did take my sins aways, and continues to do so to this day. But the cost of discipleship is great, and its benefits even greater. This, however, does not make counting the cost any easier.
I have a great hope and a future in and through Christ. I dare not regret my decisions or question Christ’s merciful power. He desires to give me his best gifts, and I will faithfully obey him.
God, give me eyes that see how you are working in my life. I want to trust your leading through good and bad times, that you are leading me through difficult situations for a reason. When you ask me to count the costs, it is not because you are selfish but because you want me to have more of you. Christ, be the center of my life and help me to fix my eyes on you in all things.
4-5. Lewis says that the harder thing to do is to wait until it is too late to do anything about it. It is better to be prepared for the long run when you know the difficulties will arise. But it certainly doesn’t feel like it from where I am standing now. Self-discipline is always hard, and no one ever knows what lies ahead of us anyways.
The Scripture says that there is a time of judgment coming. There will be a time of persecution for following him. We can also listen to the counsel of wise elders who say that things don’t become easier in life, but harder. So why is it hard to keep this in perspective and prepare for what is coming? Christ says to give our whole selves to him when it is easy. It will be more difficult to give my all to him when there is more to give. Yet I hold onto even the smallest things I have, what little power I have over my life. Christ wants this and all else.
Jesus, you are LORD of all, and LORD over me. Help me to loose my life now and not when it becomes harder to do so. I say that my life and my future is yours, so I want to surrender my present circumstances and dreams and ambitions for your glory, not my own.
6. Be perfect. That’s easier said than done. Christ calls me to be like him, bearing his image, without sin, the perfect child of God. The mere thought of that seems ridiculous because it is so impossible. Of course if I try to do this on my own, it is impossible.
But with God, all things are possible. He doesn’t give me a command without the means to carry it out. The means are not found in any gift or talent that’s in me, but the very means for perfection comes from the one who is perfect. So I must learn to submit to the perfect Father who is eagerly desiring to give perfect gifts. I must first turn to him daily. He must be my priority, he must be first in this life.
God, grab hold of me at every waking morning and in every thought and action. Would you show me once again your goodness, and bring me back to the reason why my life is in you. Help me to break out of my own egg so that I can become fully what you have intended me to be.
7-8. Lewis says that the most important thing for us is to become like Christ. All other things come second to this goal. This segment made me wonder whether I am becoming like Christ more and more throughout my Christian development. For all the growths in knowledge and experience, do I bear the image of Christ or do I bear the image of the world?
I am reminded of what the role of the Church is. Since Christ’s commission to the apostles to make disciples, men and women imitating the Son and bringing others to imitate him as well. We must evaluate whether the Church is making disciples or spending their energies on something else. I must evaluate if I am becoming more like Christ or am I distracted from my task?
Make me more like you. Would you convict me of areas that are far from you. Change my will and my thoughts, draw me closer to you.
