Keep Striving in Faith

We should view faith as a lifelong journey, a journey that involves a constant desire to keep God's commandments, and a constant desire to exalt him, not ourselves. We must avoid thirsting for earthly approval or adoration, which, in all cases, eventually withers away anyway. Instead we must strive for heavenly approval.

During this journey, there inevitably will be times when we struggle. There will be times when we stray from God's will. Equally damaging, there will be times when, becoming distracted by the pursuits of this world, we begin to drift away from our spiritual objectives and become lax in religious zeal.

We must fight through those struggles! We never should become complacent in spirituality. Don't wait for God to come to you; actively seek him!

I take great comfort from Paul. Arguably the most impactful Christian, Paul also had those spiritual struggles that we all experience! In his letter to the Philippians, after describing what he wished to achieve through faith, Paul then admits (3:12-14, ESV),

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own ... But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.