life on earth and corrosion

One of the outside (not owned by my company) planes that we maintain is an old DeHavilland Beaver.  Produced in the 50s, they were built to be a bush plane.  There are a few around here that are well maintained, making them a dream machine to work on and see flying.  The one we get to work on was operated in Hawaii for many years, flying in and out of salt water.  Corossive environments such as that are detrimental to aircraft structures, and extreme measures are required to keep them safe. 

That got me thinking about life as a Christian.  Growing up, I often dreamed about a point of maturity where the Christian walk will be easier.  As if there is a point where I will be so tight with God, that I don't even entertain distractions.  But as I have grown up, I am realizing the case will never be.  I think even in Heaven we will be growing and building our relationships with God.  Sure the sin nature will be gone, so it probably will be easier.  But that's not the point I am going for here. 

As I was pondering why it is so hard to maintain a relationship with God, I thought about the world in which I live.  I realized that the problem isn't just me being bad at relationships, its the environment, kind of like float planes in salt water.  So what do I do with this information?  Do I just let my plane sit in the harbor and rot?  Or do I drag it onto shore, spending hours washing it off with fresh water, inspecting to make sure the paint is keeping the metal from being exposed, and coat all hardware with a rust-inhibiting chemical? 

Do I accept the environmental hazards, and let my relationship with Christ fall victim to harsh conditions, or do I see the challenge, and take extra precaution to protect myself from the world? 

If you know me at all, you probably know which option I strive to achieve.  It's just comforting to me to be able to identify why it is difficult :)