We spend a lot of time "trying" to be good Christians. We love God and so we endeavor to "do" well and hope to be effective witnesses for Him, yet time after time we fail.

We cannot control our tempers: the more we want to show our gentleness to non-Christian friends and relatives, the more we become frustrated and impatient.

We cannot overcome the lust of our eyes: the more we want to stop watching pornography, the greater the desire we have to seek it out.

We cannot stop pride from entering our lives: we know all gifts are from God and so we try to humble ourselves, but pride in our abilities creeps into our minds.

We pray diligently asking God to deliver us from all temptation, but God does not seem to hear our urgent and desperate prayers. As a result, we hold grudges against God and stray from Him.

Our problem is that we try too hard to use our own efforts to live a victorious life. When we concentrate on our weaknesses and strive to improve ourselves, we are bound to fail. On the other hand, when we fix our eyes on Jesus-forgetting about ourselves and simply adoring and enjoying being with Him-we discover that we are no longer entangled by the sins that have oppressed us for years. When we abide in Christ, His resurrection power breaks all bondage, changing our character.

My husband and I have different personalities. I like to arrive early while he prefers to arrive later. When we arrive earlier than the meeting time, my husband becomes upset because he thinks it is a waste of precious time. However, if we get there late, I'm the one who becomes upset because I think it's impolite to make others wait. At such pivotal moments, I try to keep a joyful heart and to control my temper; however, the more I desire to be good, the worse it sometimes turns out.

I had a significant problem in my workplace trying to let co-workers know that I am a Christian without letting them take advantage of me. It seemed that every time I tried to share God's grace and love to others, I was soon tested. On the one hand, I wanted to demonstrate God's love by trying my best to put up with them. On the other hand, I was unwilling to allow them to take advantage of me. Subconsciously, bitterness started to build up in me to the extent that I would sometimes "blow up."

When I sin, I try to hide myself from God's face. I stop every activity that would mean associating with God, including reading the Bible and praying. I thank God that He does not forsake me simply because I try to avoid Him. Soon, I begin to realize how much I grieve the Holy Spirit by deliberately isolating myself from Him. When I do that, I actually fall into Satan's snares.

I've now learned that when I make mistakes, I need to go immediately to God to ask for forgiveness. God has helped me realize that there is actually nothing good in me of which I can boast. The more I acknowledge that truth, the more I adore and appreciate His love for me.

How do we adore and abide in Him?

1. In spirit and in truth.

2. Receiving Him for who He is and knowing who we are: His children.

3. Admitting that our nature is the exact opposite of His and understanding He is willing to make us like Him.

4. Thinking about His love and goodness as often as we can.

5. Acknowledging that all good gifts are from our Heavenly Father.

6. With a thankful heart, allowing God to discipline and mold us.

The deeper we abide in Him, the less talk we will do in His presence. Silence highlights the profound intimacy between the Lord and us. David's Psalm says that the Lord wants us to "be still and know that I am God." We must take the time to meet God in complete silence.

If we desire to see God's glory and power be manifested in our lives, it is essential that we know how to abide in Him.

Author's Update:

A reader of Challenger from Australia contacted me through CCM indicating that she also is a Parkinson's patient. As we compared our symptoms, she said that before1997 she suffered a symptom called "dysknesia" which I was suffering at that time. Therefore she strongly suggested me to go to see her doctor who is in U.S. I prayed about it and found quite peaceful. Hence, I started contacting Dr. Iacono and arranged my surgery.

After the surgery, most of my painful symptoms are gone, PRAISE GOD FOR HIS MERCY!

(Mrs. Fiona Chow lives in Vancouver with a caring husband and a19-year-old daughter. Both of them have suffered with Fiona to fight against her Parkinson's disease.)