Starving To Death On A Full Stomach--Part 3
This final article about "starving to death on a full stomach" should be prefaced by my acknowledging the rich spiritual resources of C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer, both writers who have inspired me often with thoughts that I could never have arrived at by myself. In this case, I drew heavily on one chapter in Mere Christianity in which C.S. Lewis used the terms "hard-easy" to describe the kind of Christian life that would counteract the poison that kills the soul and makes for lifeless Christians.
His premise is based on Jesus's words that are both hard-- "take up your cross"--and easy-- "for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." The first challenge asks us to sell out completely, in the words of Paul "be living sacrifices." It allows no room for us to keep something back for
ourselves. Our money, our pleasures, our spare time, our relationships, all we hold dear is made subject to the Lordship of Christ. Faith isn't part of a busy life; it is all of life. There is no other choice.
On the other hand, when we do that which is hard--sell out--the yoke is easy and the burden is light. It works smoothly. Others may view our commitment as quite difficult while we experience it as something natural and right and, yes, easy. As C.S. Lewis taught, it's hard to transition from an egg to a bird, but try learning to fly while still being an egg. Breaking our shell is tough, but it allows wings to spread and flying becomes easy. Conversely, if we never break out of the cozy shell, we'll never fly. We'll always be a pitiful egg.
I best understand the hard-easy concept because of my experience coaching the pole vault. The beginner often wants to start easy: run slow, hug the pole close, and swing up quickly. The result is disaster--failure to clear a height and a huge chance for injury. The successful vaulter starts hard: runs fast, extends the arms out when planting the pole, and waits patiently to swing up and over at just the right time. The results are safety and success at clearing higher and higher heights. In other words, when the vaulter does what is initially hard, the rest becomes easy. If he/she tries to play it safe and cozy, the rest becomes dangerous and doomed.
I believe many of us in U.S. Christendom are doomed to fail if we continue to play it safe. If we consider money our own, time our own, choices our own, we will lose in the end. However, if we learn to sell out, go holus bolus, get up every morning and give Christ all we have, we are bound to flourish, and it will not be difficult. The difficult part is to give up that which we consider ours. That selfishness is the poison that makes us starve to death on full stomachs.
About the Author:
Steve Graner is a Christian educator and familyman employed by the Minot, ND Public School District. A licensed laypastor, he is passionate about Christian writing and Christian drama. Along with family and friends, Steve has performed numerous self-written dramas and musicals for area church audiences.