What we've already attained

A common excuse that I hear believers say all the time is this: We still have so much to learn. 

How is that an excuse you might ask? Too often, I believe that we are lagging in how our faith grows because we never think we know enough. We let the belief that we don't know anything hinder the belief that there are things that we have learned.

For example, I remember there being plenty of times throughout my life when I would sit down with a mentor and they would ask me what I felt like the Lord was teaching me. Of course I usually had something to say, but after a few minutes of trying to come up with new things I always felt lost. I felt that way because I don't know everything. The Bible is a really long book...

So I used to feel discouraged about it, thinking to myself, I will never know everything. 

What did I already know? All those times I met with mentors or friends? I knew that Christ Jesus died on the cross for our sins. I knew that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and that the second greatest command is to love others and treat everyone equally. 

If I were to continue walking in my faith focusing on what I didn't know, I wouldn't ever get to where I want to go. I would easily forget what I do know, which is some of the basics! 

Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Philippians 3:16)

I encourage you to remember this: Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance that you have already received. We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. The interaction for us to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already leaned. We do not have to be sidetracked by an unending search for truth.