Becoming Christ-like

Becoming Christ-like sounds great doesn't it? I think when I hear this I envision the end picture. Smiling peacefully without a care in the world... or something like that. But it's not really like that is it? It's hard. It hurts. And sometimes it really sucks. We don't grow without pain unfortunately. God designed it this way. If growing was easy everyone could do it. But it's a choice, a hard choice, and not everyone is willing to make this choice. Sometimes we actually don't make the choice but are forced into it. In order to co-exist with people, whether its people from church or your spouse, you have to grow. Fortunately though we don't have to grow alone. First of all the Holy Spirit is always with Christians, giving them strength. Secondly we have others. I have my friends I can almost always rely on for strength and encouragement. I grow with them.