[But] we inherit a whole system of desires which do not necessarily contribute God's will but which, after centuries of usurped autonomy steadfastly ignore it. If the thing we like doing is, in fact, the thing God wants us to do, yet that is not our reason for doing it; it remains a mere happy coincidence. We cannot therefore know that we are acting at all, or primarily, for God's sake, unless the material of the action is contrary to our inclination or (in other words) painful and what we cannot know that we are choosing, we cannot choose. The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain: this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey in the absence, or in the teeth, of inclination. How impossible it is to enact the surrender of the self by doing what we like...

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About C.S. Lewis

British writer and scholar of the early-to-mid 20th century, best known for his Christian apologetics and fantasy literature. His most famous works include *The Chronicles of Narnia*, a series of allegorical fantasy novels, and *Mere Christianity*, a collection of essays exploring faith. His prose blends intellectual rigor with imaginative storytelling.

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"[But] we inherit a whole system of desires which do not necessarily c…" — C.S. Lewis | Daily Quotes