C.S. Lewis (basically wrote this post)

C. S. Lewis said that everything that really needs to be done in our souls can only be done by God. That what we do is simply an indication of what we are. So our ability to disguise what we are, while very helpful in this life, is incredibly dangerous from an eternal perspective. He said that what a man does when he is caught off guard is the best evidence for who a man is. Being caught off guard doesn't give the rats of our souls time to hide but them having time to hide doesn't mean that they aren't there. No direct actions of mine, whether good or bad can bring about the change I desperately need. God looks at us and he knows that we really have no hope of becoming anything like Christ on our own. He knows we are self seeking and pain inflicting and greedy and mean and disobedient. But he says, they are like Christ because they are men and He became a man, and then he says that we can be like Christ in spirit as well. Which we can't. And God knows that. But God can do whatever the heck he wants. So he makes us like Christ in spirit and treats us and sees us as his sons and daughters. Jesus stands right beside us and turns us into little Christs. The pretense becomes reality. 

And then C.S. Lewis makes a crazy beautiful point..he says we have our ordinary self and we want it to be better. We want it to be "good" and we know that there are desires we should not obey and things we really don't want to do that we should do. But we never stop hoping that at some point we can really just do what we want. Then we either give up trying to be good or become angry because no matter how good we become its never good enough. Thats been me this semester. Trying so hard to live for others and just getting frustrated and discouraged at the lack of fruit of my labor and the lack of appreciation and my own weaknesses. He said that I am probably a far greater pest than people who just remain selfish and already gave up trying to be good. I have a feeling he is right. 

Now the Christian way is completely different. Heres what happens: "Jesus 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. Hand over the whole self, all the desires you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked-the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.'" (C.S. Lewis)

So we have come upon the entirety of Christianity: for us to be drawn into and made into Christ. Thats it. I get so caught up in missions and ministries and justice and nature and people and education and its all part of the kingdom so its not bad stuff but there is only one point possibly of the whole universe because it was made for Christ and by Christ that everything is to be gathered together in Him. 

He continues to say that if that whole point, to be made into Christ and to be made perfect, thats all Christ is going to help us with. He said Christ probably meant "The only help I will give you is help becoming perfect. You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less." Whatever suffering it may cost us and may cost Him, he will never rest nor let us rest until we are perfect and God can say I am well pleased with you as He did with Christ. He can do this and He will do this. But he will not do anything less. The question is not what we would like to be but what he intended us to be when he made us. Of course we will never want to be made into the sort of creatures he intends us to be.