Henri Nouwen writes, ‘The spiritual life is not a life before, after, or beyond our everyday existence. No, the spiritual life can be real only as it is lived in the midst of the pains and joys of life’.* But when to start? The very idea of an invisible, reliable God can prove difficult to accept, but in reality it isn’t. The good news is that this God is alongside each one of us, whether we acknowledge Him or not, in the everyday realities of our life experience.

Sin, simply put, is to act outside of God’s intention. It is a condition which affects all humanity, and Paul describes our human dilemma, ‘For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do’ (Rom. 7:15b). This problem is escalated as temptation, something akin to a craving, focusing our attention on the short-term benefit rather than the long-term impact. The Christian is invited to acknowledge this dilemma.

Finding fault in others is easy. Our instinct is to point the finger. Why do we run from personal responsibility? Authority makes it easy to blame another, and we want to avoid experiencing vulnerability. Issues of personal self-esteem must be faced if we consistently refuse to accept the blame when things go wrong; it’s a lack of resilience in owning outcomes.

Spiritual formation is our lifetime’s work. We are easily distracted by what we view in the rear-view mirror. Am I disappointed with my younger self? Yes, in so many ways I might have learnt more of God’s ways sooner and had the courage and desire to apply them earlier. My misjudgments have wounded people, and of course damaged me.

In all of the complexity of seeking to understand the nature, character and purpose of God, it’s good to pause and recognise that God invites us to rest in the promise He has made us. So much of life is framed in terms of personal achievement measured against common success criteria, which we had no hand in deciding.

We quickly realise that no one is immune to thinking and doing the wrong thing – what Christians call sin. Many studies by anthropologists and psychologists have sought to establish if there is a violent gene within our human make-up.* Paul confesses that even when we intend good, we are likely to produce its opposite – one reason why a new relationship with God through Jesus frees us from an enforced righteousness policed by moral laws.

Christians face the challenge of consistency. Newsweek reports that ‘the average person will typically have more than 6,000 thoughts in a single day’.* Our minds skip from one idea to the next, each stimulated by an external influence. Christian faith is a deep commitment that aims to influence our life choices.

Countless words describe the nature of our encounter with God. But everyone is created unique, so it’s unsurprising there are countless ways to encounter God. The popular idiom, ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander’ flies in the face of our God’s creativity.

Jesus’ ministry was not about Himself, but about us, those He came to redeem. It was for our salvation that God came seeking the lost, namely us (Luke 19:10). Having been found by God, we are then invited to make a choice as to whether we want to engage with, and then subsequently grow in, God. All relationships are subject to the determination of the parties to the relationship. God is unwavering in His commitment to remain friends with us.

We shoulder a responsibility to express the truth of the gospel through our lives. What better evidence is there for God’s presence as promised by Jesus than lives guided by the Holy Spirit? Christianity is not a personal and superhuman effort to be good, but we make the surprising discovery that in Christ we can find the authority to bring change to our lives.