Falling Short?

Have you ever felt like you’re trying really hard to live the Christian life—but somehow keep falling short?

You’re not alone.

The Christian life was never meant to be something we manufacture through our own strength. As Martyn Lloyd-Jones famously reminded us, “Superficial views of the work of Christ produce superficial Christian lives.” When we misunderstand what Christ accomplished for us, we can easily reduce Christianity to trying harder, doing better, and becoming more religious. But the gospel offers something far greater.

Christ doesn’t simply help us live a better life. Christ is our life.

Peter’s story gives us a powerful picture of this truth. Peter sincerely loved Jesus. He boldly promised that he would never abandon Him. Yet when Jesus was arrested, Peter denied knowing Him three times.

Peter’s problem wasn’t a lack of sincerity. He simply discovered that his own determination wasn’t enough.

He was trying to live a life that only God could produce.

But failure wasn’t the end of Peter’s story. After the resurrection, Jesus specifically told the disciples to go and tell “his disciples—and Peter.” Peter may have believed he had disqualified himself, but Jesus hadn’t given up on him. Then, in Acts 2, we see a transformed Peter. The man who once feared being identified with Jesus was now boldly proclaiming Jesus to thousands. What changed?

Peter discovered that the Christian life was not ultimately about what Peter could do for Christ, but what Christ could do through Peter.

That is at the heart of the exchanged life. Paul expresses it beautifully in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” God doesn’t simply give us a list of instructions and tell us to try harder. He gives us Himself. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in His people. So what does that look like in everyday life?

When you’re facing a difficult conversation, instead of simply asking, “How can I handle this?” we can ask, “Jesus, how do You want to live through me in this?”

When we’re struggling to love someone, we can remember that Christ is our love.

When we’re anxious, we can remember that Christ is our peace.

When we don’t know what to do, we can trust Christ as our wisdom.

When we are weak, we can depend upon Christ as our strength.

This isn’t passivity. It’s dependence. It’s recognizing that we were never designed to be the source of the Christian life. Christ is the source.

Perhaps you’ve been exhausted from trying to become a better Christian. Perhaps you’ve been disappointed by your failures or frustrated because you keep struggling with the same things.

The answer may not be to try harder. It may be to learn to depend more deeply on Christ.

The Christian life isn’t Christ helping us live our lives a little better. It is Christ living His life through us.

So today, instead of simply asking, “How can I become a better Christian?” consider asking:

“Jesus, how do You want to live Your life through me today?” The life you were never meant to live alone is the life of Christ. And He lives in you!