Falling Short
and why it matters.
Becoming like Christ does not happen all at once. It unfolds through effort, failure, repentance, and return. The heart moves toward Him, then stumbles, then rises again. This movement becomes the shape of the Christian life.
Christ likeness does not begin with strength. It begins with desire. A person sees the Gospel and recognizes a distance. Thoughts wander. Passions pull. Love grows thin. This knowledge wounds the heart, yet it also opens it. The soul learns that it cannot become Christ like by effort alone.
The Church never hid this truth. The saints speak plainly. Every fall exposes weakness. Every weakness calls for mercy. The problem is not falling short. The problem is refusing to rise.
Striving Reveals the Heart
Striving does not mean forcing virtue. It means choosing Christ again after failure. Each struggle brings what lies hidden inside. Pride appears. Fear speaks. Self love resists prayer. None of this surprises Christ.
The struggle itself becomes light. It shows where healing must happen. When a person keeps striving, grace begins to work quietly. The heart grows honest. Repentance deepens. Prayer loses decoration and becomes simple.
“Abide in Me, and I in you” John 15:4 speaks of this work. Abiding means staying. It means returning. It means refusing to leave Christ even when effort feels empty.
Falling Short Does Not End the Path
Every Christian falls short of the image of Christ. The Gospel assumes this.
