Blessed Assurance

1 John 3:2-3:
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Among the hardest thing to do as a Christian is to remember. Think about the things that we often fail to remember. We don't ever seem to remember the effects of our disobedience. thus we often return to them, sometimes in greater capacities than before. It seems hard to remember the times when people help us, thus we stand with clinched fist, white-knuckle tight when it comes to our own opportunites to be generous. We often don't remember the time God brought us through a horrible disaster, thus we fail to thank him and be patient in our current ones. Truth be known, we oft forget the most powerful truth of all; we forget that Christ has set us free. This can only lead to returning to slavery of sin, and unfortunately the bonds of the law.
All of these "failures" are too often misinterpreted by the flesh. When we falter, we react in ways that must strike the Christ who set us free in the face once again. We find ourselves nailing self to a cross of condemnation, shame, and self-mockery. We return to a standard of legalism in desperate attempts to get back on God's good side. This usually results in making lofty and empty promises, and only opens up a new set of failures ahead, becuase if there is anything we all should know by know is that nobody is perfect. I always refer to this portion of the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13 "for now we see in a mirror dimly...now we know in part." This simply means something very powerful, that our best attempt at knowing perfect love will only be tainted while we are here.
So what are all these "failures" supposed to do. Well, it is no doubt that our temporary setbacks need confronting. Ignorance isn't the answer. So I believe the answer is at best two-fold.
1) Reminder of dependence. God desires not to shape a life for me independent of him. He wants me "in the vine" and connected through the glory of prayer. This whole idea that the God of the universe wants me is almost too overwhelming to accept. I would think it more simple, but maybe in a world of rejection this simplicity is hard to know. Nevertheless, it's the truth in simplest form. That's why Christ was sent.
2) The hope of Heaven. As referenced in the opening scriptural thought, this is where my mind lies currently. I just have to believe that wth all the rubbish this tmeporary body endures, with all the hurt, pain, and sorrow this life seems to have an endless supply of, and all of the grotesque sinful acts, that remain openly available to the masses that Heaven can't be far. What better use for the struggle of this world to give one hope for the next. Perhaps its time we start singing about it again, even if it means returning to hymns occasionally. We do live in a real world, we can never ignore that. There is work to do here that requires we be ever sober and vigilant. But we cannot ever fail to remember that our citezenship isn't here. Therefore the hope that drives us is that hope of the day when all things will become new, perfection will be restored, and there is no more anguish. Oh let us long for that day in hearts, driving us to continue in Him relentlessly toward bringing others to His feet.