Abide
I am convinced that the elemental goal of working out our salvation is realizing that all it requires is to abide in Christ. That is crux of the matter, which upon first glance can seem too simple, almost anticlimactic, but which in truth is the pinnacle of realization that results in the peace, the joy, and the assurance we spend our whole lives trying to achieve. I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of six, understanding that God is real, that He sent Jesus to the cross, and that because of Jesus’ death I could invite him into my heart and live for him. I would spend the next thirty-five years of my life figuring out the truth of the Gospel, often failing miserably, but inevitably held aloft by the Holy Spirit who was actively pursuing me and leading me toward enlightenment. At six years old I was told that salvation is a free gift, so I accepted it. Perhaps one minute into my salvation it became a stranglehold of striving toward perfection that would ultimately choke