Passing Grade

With it being the end of a university semester, the majority of students have their minds focused on two main things; their marks and summer! I was blessed with the oppertunity to return to church for the first time in forever on Sunday, and of course, God was just waiting to reveal new things to me.
I like to say that I am a student that strives for excellence. Over the years I have worked to find a balance between excelling in school and excelling in friendships. But on Sunday, I was confronted with the fact that over the last 8 months, I have only been living life with a "passing grade." My spiritual life has consisted of doing what I saw as the bare minimum to achieve eternal life but I didn't realize that until yesterday. The thought that I haven't been striving to excel in my walk with God sickens me. After all, in Revelation 3:15-16, the Bible says "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." I have become lukewarm this year and that isn't what I want. 
Luckily for me, I am subject to the Grace of God. I can never be separated from His love...

^"28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8:28-39

In response to this, I want to live a life of excellence. Striving to be on fire in my relationship with God. For this reason...
" I will dare to live with purpose and passion. 
I will dare to live with excellence and commitment.
I will do the very best to be the best ME I can be.
I will ahve the courage to be one of the few!"
-Joyce Meyer