God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to become like Christ…Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality...God’s Word provides the truth we need to grow, Gods people provide the support we need to grow, and circumstances provide the environment we need to practice Christlikeness. If you study and apply God’s Word, connect regularly with other believers, and lean to trust God in difficult circumstances, I guarantee you will become more like Jesus...How does this happen in real life? Through the choices we make. We choose to do the right thing in situations and then trust God’s Spirit to give us His (strength), love, faith, and wisdom to do it…Don’t wait to feel powerful or confident. Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings...Each metaphor requires active participation: Seeds must be planted and cultivated, buildings must be built- they don’t just appear- children must eat and exercise to grow...Spiritual maturity …is a gradual, progressive development that will take the rest of your life.
The Purpose Driven Life pp 173-176
