But there is this gap

By Ira Glass

I have neglected this blog.

I'm sorry for the lapse.

 I've been writing somewhere else,

And working on the gaps.

This quote above by Ira Glass may have been directed toward authors, but the application is far reaching.  We may have a picture in our minds of what our dreams, ambitions, and creative works (art, music, dance, photography, writing, etc.) should be like, but rarely do we ever get it right the first time.  It takes years of practice and lots of diligent labor.  This principle applies in school, career, parenting, self discipline, athletics, relationships, and just about everything.

Jesus gives us a picture of what abiding in Christ should look like through His parable of the branch and the vine in John 15: 4-6.  He also provides a vision of how we should love one another.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails.

He clearly demonstrated true love to us.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We will fall short.  We will not abide in Him perfectly the first time.  We will not always love each other perfectly as He loves us.  However, we must keep working.  Practice loving God and loving others every day.  Never give up!  Keep working on those gaps while praising Christ for fully bridging the most important gap which man's efforts could never close.

www.navigators.org (The Bridge to Life)

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.