The 3 Symptoms of “ Trying ” By Vance Pitman
The Burden of Trying
It seems like everyone is “ trying ” to do something . Trying to eat better . Trying to lose weight . Trying to pay off debt . Trying to be less judgmental . Trying to watch less TV . Trying to spend more time with the kids .
When you think about it , trying is a tough word because it implies failure . It means people have not yet reached their goal . They ’ ve fallen short . The idea of trying almost carries a sense of desperation .
On the other side of the coin , trying can be a reassuring word because it makes us feel like we ’ re at least putting effort into something important . We think , I may not have lost that weight yet , but I ’ m trying . Or I ’ m probably going to be working when I ’ m eighty years old , but at least I ’ m trying to save .
Unfortunately , many Christians have incorporated this lifestyle of trying into their relationship with God . They want to live as faithful followers of Jesus , but they ’ re trying to reach that target through their own efforts . Even worse , they ’ re aware that they ’ re constantly falling short of the life Jesus promised us in His Word , so they feel the failure of missing the mark even as they push themselves to “ keep trying .”
Have you spent time trying to read the Bible more ? Trying to be more consistent with your prayer life ? Trying to stop that addictive behavior that makes you feel so guilty — or at least trying to do it less often ? Trying , trying , trying ? If so , you know how heavy the burden of that lifestyle can be . And you know what a blessing it would be to experience freedom from trying .
Symptoms of Trying
In my experience , people who are trying to live the Christian life almost always feel disillusioned , disappointed , frustrated , and confused because they know they aren ’ t meeting the standards they ’ ve set for themselves . Yet they continue to believe they ’ ll get there if they just keep trying .
So how do you know if you ’ re caught up in this cycle of trying ? In my experience , we need to watch for three main symptoms .
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