If things don’t happen right away or when you think they should, that doesn’t mean you should quit. You need to be diligent. You need to have endurance. You need to keep on.

A lot of people have a big misunderstanding about God. They know God planned their existence and has a purpose for their lives. But they have the wrong idea that every detail of life is preplanned. They think they have no choice.

In fact, the Bible teaches the exact opposite. Yes, God has a plan and a purpose for your life, but it’s not automatic. You can miss it.

A lot of people think God carries grudges. They picture God up in heaven, waiting to zap them for anything they do wrong.

Here’s what God is really like: “I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you” (Isaiah 43:25 GNT). God wants to forgive, and he has done everything necessary to forgive our sins in Christ.

"If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV).

Love is not a feeling. Love is a choice. Even when you don’t feel like it, you can choose to do it anyway.

In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Several chapters earlier, in John 8:32, he says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NIV).

You know what guilt feels like. Guilt robs you of happiness. It causes depression. It can make you physically sick. When David, a great king of Israel, had sinned, he felt the weight of guilt. He said to God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12 KJV).

Think about your typical week. How many times do you get caught up in feeling pressured by other people—by their lifestyles, their needs, the things they’re doing, or what they expect of you? If you’re feeling pressured, then there is great news for you: God can set you free from those expectations.

Your greatest impact will come from your greatest struggles. What do I mean? God never wastes a hurt. Instead, God uses the pain and struggles we face in life to point us back to Him, to strengthen us, to grow us – and yes, to comfort others.

Any lifeguard will tell you: You can’t save anyone as long as they’re trying to save themselves. If you try, that person will just pull you down, too. So you have to tread water until they finally give up, and then it’s easy. You just put a hand over their shoulder, and you swim back to shore.

It’s the same with our relationship with God. When we try to fight through life’s troubles on our own, we sink. Instead, God wants us to stop fighting and trust him to do the work.

When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he was defining himself. He was saying, “I know who I am.” At least 18 times in the Bible, Jesus said, “I am” and then gave a description. He described himself as the door, the bread of life, the way, the truth, the resurrection, and the life. Over and over, he defined himself. Jesus knew who he was (and still is), and as a result, he was not under pressure.

If you want to live a truly balanced life, you can only look at one person in all of history as a model: Jesus. If you put him at the center of your life, your life will be more balanced.