Very well, then. The main thing we learn from a serious
attempt to practise the Christian virtues is that we fail. If there was any
idea that God had set us a sort of exam, and that we might get good marks by
deserving them that has to be wiped out. If there was any idea of a sort of
bargain-any idea that we could perform our side of the contract and thus put
God in our debts so that it was up to Him, in mere justice, to perform His
side-that has to be wiped out.
I want to add now that the next step is to make some serious
attempt to practise the Christian virtues. A week is not enough. Things
often go swimmingly for the first week.
Try six weeks. By that time, having,
as far as one can see, fallen back completely or even fallen lower
than the point one began from, one will have discovered some truths about oneself. No man knows how
bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that
good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those
who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. -- C S Lewis Mere Christianity
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