format_quote Originally Posted by
hateful
i have exactly the same problem but i tries my best but every times i fails. i am fed up of myself now. what i have to do? all people the things suggested here not works because there is some chance happens that all the good things and progress made is again become zero and we lose spirit and hope at that time.:laugh:
Do you know the story of Sisyphus from Greek mythology?
Sisyphus is best known for being punished in the Underworld by rolling a stone with his hands and head in an effort to heave it over the top of a hill; but regardless of how much he pushes, the stone rebounds backwards again and again. So, he spends eternity trying to push the stone up to the top of the hill only to have it roll down and then he has to start all over again.
Now, I think living a righteous life is in many ways like that. We have the task before us. It is pretty clear what it takes to do it. We try. And we fail. At that point, unlike Sisyphus, we have a choice. We can quit. Go our own way. Decide that we don't care about being righteous, and accept the consequences of our actions.
Or we can start over. Do it again. Pick up where we left off and continue to strive to be righteous again.
Personally, I don't think it is so important to succeed at getting the stone to the top, as it is to continually strive to get there.
None of us are perfect. If perfection was possible, we would not be dependent on Allah's mercy, but we would be able to say that we "deserved" our reward. I suppose some view their lives this way; I do not. I know that in God's eyes, no matter how good I see myself to be, in reality I am a sinner. Thus if ever I am to be allowed into paradise, it will be because God is gracious, not because I have earned it.
However, that does not mean that I should quit striving to be the person God wants me to be. Rather, even though I know that in the end, no matter how high I am able to push the stone up the hill that it will eventually come crashing back down. If not today, then tomorrow or the next. It will come back down because I will slip and fall short of God's glory. Nonetheless, my real task is to simply keep going up the hill. This is the test I have before me in my life. The real test is not to see if I can get to the top and be perfect like God is perfect, I've already failed at that. The real test is to see if I will keep striving, keep submitting, keep trying to live as God would want me to, even in the face of my persistent failures. The real test is to see if I'm a quitter or not.
So, you are fed up with yourself. You should be. If you have decided that it just isn't worth the effort to try and be righteous because you aren't able, then you should be fed up with yourself. You know that God is willing to accept you with your impeferctions. So that has you settling on being imperfect.
My friend, it is one thing to be honest about the struggles you are having. To admit that it is a tough fight. That the test is difficult. But it is another altogether to quit the fight and throw in the towel.
You want to know what to do? You get out there and commit yourself to the task of living the life God has called you to. You put your shoulder to the stone and start pushing it back up that hill again. You face your failure square in the face and try, try again. The longest journey not only begins with the first step, it is accomplished one step at a time. So, whatever happens, keep you focus on your failures, but where it should be, keep your focus on God, and then just keep putting one foot in front of the other, headed in that direction.