My own spiritual journey is unlike Paul's except in regard to my earliest spiritual formation. I was raised in a Christian family, and attended Sunday School and church throughout my youth. It was not a strict religious environment, but it was dedicated. My character has experienced reshaping throughout my life. Some of those reshaping moments have been difficult. Other have been almost pleasant.
But I am very much like Paul as he expresses in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I...am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." God is at work in our lives to shape us more and more into the image of Christ - whatever our training from our youth may have been. So we must not think we're finished growing in our faith or character, but remain humble and open to the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts and minds.
