Re: Not sure I follow...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in your world view, unless you're actively striving for God, you aren't getting any nearer God -- maybe even losing ground. Perhaps that isn't a Christian view, per se -- to some Christians, praising Jesus is all it takes. Among the Christians I can actually admire, however, is the urge to be greater than what they are that manifests. "Getting closer to God" or "getting closer to Jesus" or "being more like Jesus" or "letting the Holy Spirit in" or the like are synonyms for this urge.

In my world view, God's bringing me closer to Him as fast as I can handle it, so "striving" to reach him is an exercise in frustration (and maybe a little arrogance, as if I know better than God...). If I could get there any faster, God would already be a step (at least) ahead of me, throwing the lessons my way that would get me there faster.

As with the student in the arcane library, the master (God) isn't going to try to stop the student from striving, but the master is already trying to teach the student the contents of the arcane library in the best/easiest/fastest/most meaningful way possible. There's a reason he's the master, you know?