Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

The person that I am is because of the Christ who is in me. That being said I am not perfected yet. I will not be perfected until the day I meet Christ face to face. This means that until I die or Jesus comes back to take us home, then I will struggle with the pull of the world and the flesh that is attached to me. We must know that we are in a spiritual battle from the day we are saved until we meet Him. This to a young person may seem to be a very long time. But when we get older, we realize just how short this life can be.

But we press on! This means every day we wake up that there is a fight to be fought. I remember watching a documentary about soldiers in the Arden Forest during World War 2. They were hungry and surrounded by the enemy. The cold was overwhelming, but they got up and marched on patrol every day. The older man who was reflecting on this looked at the camera and said, “It is a lot easier to die than to live during times as tough as these.” This made me think how pressing on in this life during spiritual distress can be demoralizing. How do we keep marching on?

Because Jesus promised us through His word, “I will not leave you nor forsake you.” Jesus is still with us even after being rejected and then sacrificed for us. He loved us that much and still loves us. Doesn’t this sound like the God you are looking for? I hope so. It is my prayer that the holy Spirit will open your eyes if you are. May God bless you and keep you.