Struggle is necessary.

How much do you want life eternal? Are you willing to, think in terms of what you must do to overcome and change? What are you willing to do to pursue eternal life, and how far will you go? Look at Hebrews 12. Jesus struggled against temptation. He was in all points emptied as many are, yet without sin. In that sense He's been tempted more than you have because you've given in at least once, probably more. He struggled to the greatest extent, to the greatest extent of the temptation and didn't even give in.

It's so easy to focus on the trials that are set before you, or the struggles or the temptations, but Christ focused on the joy that was before Him. Where He was going, what would happen if He endures, if He remains sinless, if He can carry this through He will be the Savior of humanity. He will sit again at the right hand of God in glory and all eternity.

You know, it takes less work to live with a problem than to change it. You get comfortable and it's so important that you don't have attitudes that discourage change in your life; attitudes that hold you back, ways of looking at change that are roadblocks or stumbling blocks for you. There are no shortcuts to salvation. You will struggle if you’re going to overcome. That's a simple fact. You struggle if you overcome and thankfully God is there to help you. Why doesn't He get rid of the struggle? Wouldn't it be a lot easier if you could just decide to change and you were changed? It would be a lot easier if that were the case. Why doesn't He help more and decrease the struggle?

God looks at you, and He sees that struggle is necessary. Yes, change is hard but the struggle is absolutely essential to your spiritual life. You mustn't be unwilling to struggle.  All go through different types of struggle, and God is willing to help you and give you strength to go through your struggles, and He's not going to end the struggle because He knows that that's part of your very character. You will value the definition of your character even more if you’ve had to stand your ground for it. You will be able to help those who do struggle with sin because you've struggled with sin. There's an important aspect to your growth that involves being willing to struggle, to change.

What do you think about change? What's your attitude toward change? Are you making excuses? Are you putting it off? How deeply do you desire change and be like Christ and to be in His kingdom and live forever? In this life a life, you can be thankful that Christ went before you, died for you and enables you and strengthens you. That's your encouragement when you're thinking about change. But remember that it is a struggle, and with the right attitude it will bring happiness in this life. And it brings a tremendous reward in the life to come.