“Our souls find rest when we stop all our striving and more deeply know that God is God (see Psalm 46:10). But there are some things that are worth our effort. It's good to work hard to contend for the faith, to forgive others, and to love well. It's wise to want to be people of our word, to do excellent work, to fight for our marriages, to be debt-free, and to make family a priority.
It's a colossal waste of our time to put all kinds of energy into managing others' opinions of us. We actually damage ourselves when we prioritize comfort and ease to the point that we become soft and useless in the great battle between good and evil.
We battle a very real enemy who looks for every opportunity to steal what belongs to us. We fall down and we get back up again. We feel battered and bruised one day and blessed and bold the next. We run this race to win the prize. We engage with God and His promises to lay hold of everything Christ won for us.
Jesus promised we’d experience trouble and hardship. But he also promised that we would overcome. We follow a conquering Savior who is deeply committed to getting us safely home. Praise God!”
“Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able.” —Luke 13:24 (AMP)
