The transformation from new believer to mature believer rarely happens in a neat, linear way. For most people, the road to redemption is littered with sin, struggle, and failure after failure. Christians addicted to all kinds of lesser “gods”—drugs, alcohol, food, pornography, shopping, gambling, sex, etc.—give in to temptation, despite their best efforts to avoid what makes them weak.Don’t be discouraged. Even Paul, trained and anointed by Jesus Himself to preach the gospel, struggled with sin. “I do not understand what I do…. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:15,18-19 NIV).You’re not a failure because you fail. You’re simply human. Jesus overcame this world and, therefore, all of your stumblings in it. So, get up, dust yourself off, and move on.All of life is a progression—sometimes backward, sometimes way off track, but mostly forward along the path lit by God’s love with God’s divine help.