the struggle of belief

One of the reasons I find the bible encouraging and refreshing is because of the realistic way it depicts the major characters. They are real life people with real life struggles who experience the ups and downs of life. There isn't a glossing over of their character flaws. There is no 'happy all the day' kind of thinking. Their isn't the simplistic 'just be happy' kind of teaching.
Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, Peter, Ruth, Deborah, Sarah and even Jesus, had good days and bad days. Sometimes things worked out perfectly while other days confusion was part of the journey.
This matches my reality. Some days life is brilliant and I couldn't be happier if I tried. Other days life is a misery and no matter what I do it seems to just be a struggle to get out of bed. Friends, that seems to me to be the reality of life.
But I think there is this hope. Life in Christ, though still up and down, is lived at a higher level than life without Christ. The knowledge that Jesus walks with me, that the Holy Spirit lives in me, and that the Father hears my every cry brings a comfort that I don't have when I don't know Jesus.
Someone once used this illustration. They said that life is like a jeep ride along a dirt track going up a mountain. Whether on the plain or going up the mountain the road is still bumpy and there are ups and downs. But the downs when half way up the mountain are still higher than the ups when on the plain.
The walk with Jesus continues to have ups and downs. But the down in Jesus is still better than the up without him!