You won’t be flawless on this side of Heaven. We should abide in God, and obey His commands, in order to achieve His definition of our success. That doesn’t mean that we’ll never fail or make mistakes along the route we travel. This means that progress in the right direction, in all the areas where we are spiritually motivated to improve, is worth celebrating. Even if we still fall short from time to time, we want to make sure those instances don’t lead us to forget how far we’ve come. Furthermore, this shouldn’t lead us to allow ourselves motive or space to slip up unnecessarily. Instead, it can serve us not to forget the ten steps we’ve taken in the right direction in light of the one we mistakenly took backward.

If we are too lenient with ourselves we run the risk of justifying sin and making light of serious matters in God’s sight. Matters that we need to consider the way God does and not base our success or failure on our faulty human standards. On the other hand, if we are too rigid, we run the risk of burning out and wallowing in the wrong kind of sorrow to bring us down. While Godly sorrow is helpful in leading us to repent from our sin and learn from our trespasses, worldly sorrow only serves to give us negative feelings, emotions, and thoughts. If you’re experiencing reoccurring guilt, worry, stress, anxiety, or a perpetual pity-party, chances are you’re over-thinking the past. Even if we messed things up on a grand scale, we’re best positioned to heal by living the moment and focusing on Jesus Christ as He leads us into the future.

God loves us just as much now as when we first got to know Him. Our standing in His sight isn’t based on our performance. (Recommended reference: http://www.adevotion.org/archive/right-standing-with-god-is-a-gift) We can be certain that, while we attempt to do our best in honor of Him and in accordance with His will, we don’t have to worry about our imperfections. They are worth noting and consistently improving upon. However, as long as we’re fighting sin diligently with a healthy reliance on our Lord Jesus Christ, we’re doing what we can to follow the lead of His Holy Spirit. If we do our absolute best, and trust He will fill in our shortcomings with His providential provision, there’s no need to fear we’ll come up short. We all know we’ve already come up short, and in spite of that God has chosen us to be His children. There’s no greater blessing, protection, or grace than that. Whether you feel up or down in terms of emotion, you can bring yourself back to the reality of the wonderful promises of God, to re-establish your foundation.

With a strong foundation, we can delight God in the midst of the greatest adversity or unforeseen circumstances. Even when things go wrong we can choose to praise God for what He allows to remain in our lives. While I faced my greatest challenges thus far in life in the hospital, I knew I could still thank God for so much more than the appearance of my immediate circumstances. He never abandoned or failed me. God also established a detour in my life that led me to create this website, www.fatherspiritson.com, with my brother in Christ – James Sager. He also blessed me with time. A time that in alternative circumstances I wouldn’t have had to be fruitful in teaching Biblical concepts and sharing the Gospel on this site, across social media channels, and face to face communication when I meet people in person. For any opportunities taken away from me, I was given one or more with an eternal impact. An impact that you cannot put a price tag on and no one can steal from you, for it has been ordained by God.

I want to assure you that even when it appears that things aren’t moving in the direction you thought was best, God is still working and moving in your life. There are times where we need only to be still and know that He is God. Many of us, including myself, need to re-learn what patience really means. We need to be the anomaly, not those who are seeking the same avenues of instant gratification that non-believers hold dear. We can show them, in our own handling of life’s ups and downs, that Jesus Christ is our ultimate treasure and friend. We know without Him we are nothing, but with Him, we can accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God. Remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength and we’re blessed beyond measure to take part in His eternal presence in our lives. As we grow more intimate with our Savior Jesus Christ, and as a result closer with God our Father in Heaven, we should all acknowledge that this is progress worth noting and celebrating.

Lastly, I want to point out that many of us fail to enjoy the process of achieving our milestones in life. If you do this long enough, you’ll realize that living for the culmination of your dreams may actually seem anti-climactic. If you live in the moment and maximize the value of your journey, you’ll find more fulfillment in celebrating smaller victories. Those small wins lead up to the big events, and they are a key part of our progress in life. If you are dating or courting, these are some beautiful memories you are forming with your potential spouse, don’t defer your happiness until you marry. We need to find joy in the small and simple things in life. Not only do they occur more often, but they don’t need to take anything away from the major milestones as they are achieved later on.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV).

Photo Credit: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4992/t/who-is-the-antichrist-

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by the website attributed with the photo credit are their own, FSS does neither claim to advocate or disagree with them explicitly.