Settling for Less

In The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis writes, "The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself."  Essentially, what C. S. Lewis is talking about is settling for less.  We know deep inside of us that sin is a problem - a deadly problem - but we settle for all kinds of makeshift (lesser) repentance.  One kind of repentance says, "I just need to try harder.  I need to deny myself more.  I need to pray harder, eat less, and listen to more sermons."  Another says, "Yeah... God, I'm sorry."  But does not make any effort to stop the sin.  The sin is treated like dirt... I know that I will eventually need to shower, anyways, so is it really a big deal if I get my feet dirty one more time?  Isn't sin more than dirt?  Isn't it more like poison?

I have been learning that this kind of self-denial is really not self-denial at all.  It is selfishness.  When I deny myself by saying "I'll try harder," I am refusing to admit that I need God's help.  And when I deny myself by saying "I'm sorry," but then continue to sin in the same way, I am refusing to admit that my sin is the real and deadly problem that it is.  I think that is why C. S. Lewis describes it as settling for less.

All of this said, has our world influenced us (the Church) to settle for less?  (Have we been influenced by our culture that says, as C. S. Lewis put it, "the world is our home"?)  And if so, what are they?