Let me be open and honest about something:
I struggle with my daily walk with Jesus.
That is a hard statement to make because my mind makes me feel like that can't possibly be right for someone who claims to love Jesus. If I truly loved Him, wouldn't my walk just be RIGHT? We are led to believe in many circles that a struggle in our walk is taboo to even mention to others. Don't talk about it. Put on a smile and pretend like you are doing great. The old "fake it until you make it" mentality.
We are not promised rainbows and sunshine when we come to know Jesus. Everything does not suddenly become easy. Our sinful nature, while we *are* redeemed, still leaves us in a mixed state of being a redeemed sinner, therefore still being prone to sin. Personally, I have good days and bad days. Good weeks and bad weeks. Sometimes even longer periods of time where my "walk" is much better or worse than others. And during those good times is when Satan likes to remind us how bad things are so we can fall away again.
Hebrews 12 says, "...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..."
This journey through life and in salvation is a long marathon of a race. We are commanded to look to Jesus through it all. There will be harder areas of that race that seemingly go straight uphill, and there will be parts that seem like a walk in the garden, strolling peacefully and enjoying what God has provided. But, we endure if we keep our focus on Jesus through it all because He is the one that perfects that faith piece by piece.
In Galatians, Paul addresses the church there and their "falling away" from the Gospel. In 5:7 he says, "You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" They were running their race and suddenly, were hindered. Does that resonate with you? Because it certainly does to me. Who hindered me from my obedience? I could point fingers all day long, but ultimately if I want to find the culprit, I need only to check the mirror. I'm plenty good at ruining my own "run" at any given moment.
Ultimately, what we have to understand is this: our walk with Jesus, this life, it's not something that we fail at any given time when we mess up. There is grace and forgiveness. Our Lord is always there to welcome us back to Him with open arms.
If your walk has been suffering, today seems like a really great day to right that and take a walk with your Savior.
He's waiting.
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