Created to Be Transformed

I never really know how to begin these posts..So I'll just jump in!

SO I wake up this morning, and right when I woke up, I felt more tempted than EVER to just give up and stop following God. Not to the extent that I stop believing in Him and in the BIble, but to cease to live my life for Him. The main reason for this was because I felt just super overwhelmed with guilt about the sin struggles I have, and I was tired of being 'bogged down' by this guilt, and by the need to feel perfect before a perfect God.
But what got me through that today was a couple things that the Lord revealed to me.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

So a couple things here. Paul, the one who wrote Philippians, says that he 'presses on'.  Does this mean to go with the flow, and to live the life of following Christ comfortably? No! Pressing on, to me, sounds like endurance. And when we're talking about our walk with the Lord, we really are talking about an eternal marathon.  I mean think about this: When Jesus was going to die on the cross, walking to the hill that he was going to be crucified on, do you think that walk was easy? No! He had just been beaten, whipped, and mocked. So, no, this life we live, if we're living for Christ, is not going to be easy, because he calls us to take up our cross and follow Him (luke 9:23). But the cool thing is, we can press on because we're pressing on to become more like the creator of the universe.

Sanctification, right there baby!
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Guys, think about it! Our purpose here on this earth, the thing that should push us to do good, to love others, is to be more like Christ! He created us in His image!!! When we accept Christ, we get to begin this journey, again, this MARATHON, to become more like Him. The more we read our Bible, the more we pray and learn to just fall in love with the Lord, the more like Him we get! Because think about it! When you spend time with someone, and I mean a lot of time, you start to act like them. It's so cool to think that even though we are sinners, and we make stupid mistakes, God still works in our lives and transforms us! He doesn't just look at a mess we've made because of our sin and throw in the towel. He molds us, and transforms us!

But here's the thing:
I got really caught up in trying to be perfect for the Lord, like I talked about in the beginning of this blog post. But what I didn't realize is that, one: I'm STUPPID for thinking that I could ever be 'good enough' for God..Because it's about grace...And two: by trying to be perfect, I focused too much on my mistakes and my actions, as opposed to the love of Christ.

"forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead"
^^And that's exactly what I need to do. When I let my gaze shift from the Lord, and his light, to my own mistakes and sin struggles, I'm not straining ahead. There's a huge difference, though, between recognizing my mistakes and dwelling on them.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus."
Phil. 4:6-7

If you guys start to do what I do and notice your mistakes,  don't DWELL ON THEM! Just pray, pray pray! Ask God to transform you!
Remember that this transformation doesn't happen overnight. I think I jumped ahead of myself this year, and tried to do things on my own, instead of relying on the Lord...which is no bueno! But God is WORKING ya'll, whether we see it or not!
I want to encourage you to GET EXCITED that we have been created to be transformed! It's so cool! Keep pushing on, because the reward is Jesus, and,r eally, what's better than Him?

'I know the cost, he is better."

"When I am yours, then at last, I am completely myself."

I Love ya'll!