Seventeen-year-old me had a blast in my small Christian boarding school. I had many friends, I was in great physical shape, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do in life.

Fast forward to today. I have a small group of close friends, I have the middle age belly, and I’m back in school for the third time doing a drastic career change. Sometimes I feel I wasted many years and wish I could redo them.

It is easy to feel that way on the Christian journey.

We start out on fire for God, having deep devotionals, going to vespers and small groups, participating in worship, and living life with God. But then we stumble and fall, we sin, and mess up. Some of our old habits creep back into our lives. Old friends come around and we act the same to keep up the friendship. Or we simply lose the interest in Bible study, prayer, and meditation on God’s Word. Oh, to go back to being on fire!

God patiently helps us back up, knowing we cannot change ourselves. He knows that without His power and strength we can do nothing. God wants to come live in us. He wants to give us new bodies that don’t crave unhealthy things, new minds that don’t dwell on sin, and a strong Spirit that draws strength from Him.