Redeemed

I finished the book Redeeming Love a couple of days ago.  Great read.  One of my favorite parts of it, though, was the note from the author, Francine Rivers.  
She spoke a bit of her life story and how she began serving Christ at the age of thirty-eight.    "I believe we all serve someone in life.  For the first thirty-eight years of mine, I served myself.  My conversion wasn't a highly emotional experience," she says.  "It was a conscious, thought-out decision that changed my focus, my direction, my heart, my life." 
Some are under the impression that once you open your life to Christ, everything is all hunky-dory (yes, I just said that) and you need not work to remain in a relationship with Him.  But in reality, we must be in a constant pursuit of Him.  We must be focused.  It is a conscious, thought-out effort we make daily.  My pastor refers to it as grace-driven effort.  I love that.  
"I used to believe the purpose in life is to find happiness.  I don't believe that anymore.  I believe we are all given gifts from our Father, and that our purpose is to offer them to him." -Francine Rivers  
Just a little food for thought, and a great reminder to me as well, on this Sunday. :)