So many of us come to faith—or even stay in faith—thinking God’s main goal is to help us become a better version of ourselves: more patient, more disciplined, more put-together. While growth matters, Lewis challenges this shallow view. He writes that God is not interested in simply fixing our bad habits; He is interested in making us entirely new.

Scripture says it plainly:

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

At Pastoral Care Ministries, we often meet people who are exhausted from trying harder. They’ve spent years managing symptoms—behaviors, reactions, coping mechanisms—without addressing the deeper wounds underneath. Lewis helps us see why that approach falls short. God is not renovating a broken house; He is rebuilding it.

This can feel unsettling. Real healing requires surrender, not control. It means allowing God access to the parts of us we’ve learned to hide: our grief, our fear, our shame. But this is where freedom begins.

Jesus didn’t come to polish the old self. He came to crucify it—and raise something new in its place.

Healing is not about becoming impressive. It’s about becoming alive.

Sources
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952)