Pressing on toward the goal...

So, you may or may not remember that one of my goals for 2010 was to read the Bible in its entirety.  I mentioned, too, that I think this is something that everyone should do, regardless of their own beliefs.  At this point, I have completed nine books:
*Genesis
*Joshua
*Judges
*Ruth
*Job
*Isaiah
*Matthew
*Romans
*1 Corinthians

I realize that that list represents a fairly scattered take on the texts, but I have been following a pre-made list (kind of), and that is the reason for the randomness.

Here's the thing: even with only reading nine books out of sixty-six, it is hard for me to imagine believing in any thing other than God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  I mean, there's a darn good case to be made, to say the very least.  Also, my understanding of the Scriptures is enhanced this time through, even though some of the text are very familiar to me, which is terrific.  In some areas, it's like additional sentences were added to clarify things for me, though, in reality, they've been there all along.

But here's one of the things I've really been thinking about: what should our actions be?  I feel like so many people refuse to do things in their lives because they feel like they're not good enough.  If only they could kick this habit or that addiction or whatever.  But Scripture tells us that we should focus on the doing of things, and that, in time, we will be free of the things that hold us back.  It's kind of like that oft-touted phrase, "Fake it until you make it."  If we would just do things that indicate that we are living the life to which we are called, then it follows that we will be living the life to which we're called. Of course, that means entirely different things for different people--your gifts are not the same as mine--and that's a good thing.  But, the same idea still holds--it goes back to the whole idea of "already and not yet."  That is a phenomenon that is applied to Jesus' talk about the kingdom of God being ushered in.  He basically says that the kingdom of God is already on Earth, but not yet.  This is a bit of a perplexing concept to get my mind around, but I think it helps to think of it in a sort of cyclical way, which is also how I think about my freedom from sin and my ability to follow where He leads.  For example, we are called to humble ourselves.  In the very act of admitting that we aren't very good at being humble, we demonstrate humility.  And, at the very moment that we begin to do things that are good and right, our sins don't cause us to need to be humble, and yet, because we're doing good and right things, our humility has remained in tact.  We can't change unless we admit that change needs to happen, and we can't change permanently unless we allow God to come in and do that work for us.  I've tried to do a lot of things on my own, and I'm a pretty heard-headed, go-getter kind of person (when I really want something, anyway).  But all of my single-handed attempts at success have failed dismally.  Even still, I feel as if I should engage in doing the things to which I'm called, and trust that they will be done well and to completion through God's power in, and over, my life.  When God is along for the ride, and we let Him in, failure is an utter impossibility.  Who wouldn't want that?