Good beginnings don’t always translate into positive and successful endings. Saul, who seemed at his anointing to be such a promising future king, ended his days in ignominy—taking his own life rather than be killed by his enemies on Mount Gilboa. In contrast, Matthew begins his Christian discipleship with the disadvantage of being a despised tax collector, and yet matures into that faithful disciple whom tradition associates so closely with the gospel bearing his name. How we began our spiritual journeys thus matters less than how they will end. How they will end is, in turn, contingent upon inner vigilance and the avoidance of any spiritual complacency or presumption—something the great King Solomon neglected to do. Equally important, if you’re presently in the midst of great spiritual darkness and confusion, vigilance is also required to guard against giving up and settling into either indifference or despair. Wherever you find yourself, spiritually, at this very moment, need not determine the final outcome—that is always something you will choose; and that choice is being made even as I speak.