Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Today's post is grounded in a pretty simple truth. In fact, most believers of Jesus Christ reading this have probably already developed this perspective. However, it's good for all of us to be reminded of simple truths from time to time.

Anyone who has set a goal in life understands the commitment, motivation, and perseverance involved in obtaining that goal. We decide we want something and we begin taking the mental and physical steps necessary to achieve our desires. However, these desires we have seem like pretty good ideas until trials and setbacks come along. All of a sudden, the desire to lose fifty pounds doesn't seem so plausible after only losing two pounds the first week and gaining four pounds back the second week. Or how about the individual who decides to quit drinking alcohol? Monday through Friday was a breeze, but everyone is going out Saturday night and not joining seems like social suicide. For me, it was wrestling. I clawed my entire life to obtain wrestling success. Ever since I was six years old my life revolved around early morning runs, grueling practices, and cutting weight. Needless to say, I had some major moments of question during my sixteen year wrestling career. There were days I wondered if I would ever reach the end, and even if I did I wondered if it would be worth it. However, I knew that what was ultimately going to satisfy me wasn't necessarily the results, but rather finishing the process. So, I pressed on.

We experience this same struggle in our spiritual lives. The difference is, our spiritual lives encapsulate our entire human existence. Whereas the examples mentioned above are segments within our human existence. Experiences we get to start and end ourselves. With the examples above, most individuals only call upon mental and physical fortitude. Our spiritual life obviously requires us to call upon our spiritual fortitude. Which explains why our spiritual lives can be such a struggle and in some cases a wreck. Most individuals incorporate spirituality so sparingly in their lives. In fact, I would venture to guess that most people only call upon their spiritual fortitude within their spiritual life.

So where am I going with this?

Ultimately, our spiritual life (our walk with Jesus Christ) is like any other goal. Expect there to be good days and bad days. Days where you want to run through brick walls for Jesus and days where you just aren't sure if you can keep running the race. In fact, our spiritual goal of following Jesus is more difficult than any other worldly goal in that 1)the finish line (or prize) is unseen and 2)following Christ is contrary to the ways of this world. So people pursue weight loss, sobriety, wrestling success, ect. with the idea that these goals are obtainable. In other words, people have hope. Hope is the same thing that allows us to sustain a lifetime of spiritual highs and lows in a walk with Jesus Christ. And hope is only obtained and increased through struggles.

Romans 5:3-5
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Keep running the race. Stay to the narrow path. Walk by the spirit. The finish line is always closer than you expect!

Grace and Peace,
JoMo