Is it really that simple?

Once upon a time, I thought that the Christian life was pretty simple. I thought that after some years as a Christian, I'd have this thing figured out, and it would be smooth sailing from there. I don't think that anymore. While on the one hand, the Christian life is simple in that I am to live to bring honor and glory to God. On the other hand, what that actually looks like in my life can be quite complicated. It means that I have to look not only at my actions, which is a task in and of itself, but also to my motivations. I can sometimes get overwhelmed with how much I still have to change to be like Christ. The complexity of doctrine and what it looks like lived out in my life can also overwhelm me. I have some choices when I begin to feel overwhelmed. I can throw my hands up in the air and conclude that I can never attain what I'm striving for and give up. Alternatively, I can realize that I can never attain what I'm striving for and rest in the fact that Jesus has attained it for me. I can strive for holiness, but allow myself to experience God's grace in my failures. I can learn one lesson at a time as I become more like Christ. In reality, I cannot do anything, but God can work in and through me. I'm still learning what that looks like in my own life.