I'm an egg.

Don't worry, you're an egg, too. In fact, in the great mind of C.S. Lewis, we are all eggs.

"And, you cannot go on indefinately being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad."

"The Christian way is different: harder and easier. Christ says, 'Give Me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I Want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it.' 'I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.' "

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galations 2:20

Either you are an egg that is going to go bad (or has already gone bad), or you have given yourself up and have become hatched into a new creation in Christ. And that, folks, is a hard decision to make. It is very hard to give it up. But - "The cowardly thing to do is also the most dangerous thing." It's easy to back out of this 'giving everything up' business. But backing out, ignoring Christ, is the most dangerous thing a human being can ever do.

The sad thing is, I didn't realize I was doing it. I have been surrounded by wonderful people for the first 18.5 years of my life, but then I came to college. And I saw a group of people that were different than every one else I had ever met. This group was truly different, and it didn't take me too long to find out why. They were trying to live as Christ calls us to live. At first I wanted so desperately to be a part of that group that I did the same things they did, and acted as they did.

After awhile, I decided I was doing those things for the wrong motives. I took a look at myself. I took a look at my Bible. And I prayed that God would change me into the person he wanted me to be. The person he created me to be. God calls us to live a different life. To live a moral, righteous life. A life that is possible by accepting and having faith in his awesome gift of grace.

I'll say it again: either you are an egg that is going to go bad, or you have given yourself up and have become hatched into a new creation in Christ. There IS no middle ground. I used to think that because I went to church, participated in youth group events and lived a pretty decent life, I was ok. I didn't know that it was all or nothing. I didn't understand that inside I really wanted to give myself up. And this doesn't mean giving up, it means giving up my own selfish desires.

Handing it all over to Christ - it's terrible, almost impossible. "But it is far easier than what we are trying to do instead." We want "to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life and yet at the same time be 'good.' "

We try to keep "personal happiness as our great aim" - this is true. But, a person can be more joyful when they accept Christ and all that he has to offer them than when they are trying to make themself happy. This world is not perfect. Sometimes, it sucks. But even during the bad times, I can still be joyful that the Lord is here with me and wants the best for me. Even when bad things happen, I can have faith that they have happened for a reason that I may not understand.

"'In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.' " Giving up our wants and desires and seeking God's will is so important, I can't stress it enough. By living for Christ on this earth, I know that I can live forever in the kingdom of heaven. "He offers everything for nothing. The whole Christian life consists in accepting that very remarkable offer."


(the quotes in this text are from Mere Christianity by CS Lewis, which I recommend to everyone)