When You Don’t Feel Like It

Or, as Millenials say, when you can’t even; or if you think adulting is difficult you won’t like Christianing either…  [I love beautiful language, it makes me cringe to type this nonsense]. So before I get further into slang, the important question we all face several times in our Christian journey:

What do you do when you’re stagnant in faith, or don’t know what to read/pray/think/feel etc?  The answer, beloved, is that He has not forsaken you. He is and ever will be “Christ for us” and “Christ with us” and He is ever near.  Your emotions deceive you when you “feel” distant. You began by faith, and you muddle through by faith; and He grows you in these seasons.  

Your question “what do I do” places too much emphasis on you.  Let your heart ask a different question. Do not look inward, look to Christ. Look. Let your mind drift through passages of Scripture that describe His character, His works, His love (Romans 5:8 is a particular favorite).  Seek. He promises us that when we seek Him with our whole heart we will find Him. We will discover that He is the God who dwells with us, in us; abiding.  His works will show something about Him, as creation reflects its Creator. His Word will reveal His glory to you as His other works cannot. In the face of Christ you will see that you need to cease striving and know He is God.  Let Him lead you beside the still waters, and to the fountain of life. He stands at the door and knocks of the hearts of all who are His (a letter to the churches, to the believing). Will you let Him in, or will you listen to your fears or insecurities or weariness or self-sufficiency instead?  

This is why I am delighted to spend a summer focusing on the Spiritual Disciplines; the means of grace.  We begin by the Spirit, we continue by the Spirit, we sow to the Spirit (see Galatians 5:1-5; 6:8). When we do not feel like it, we must remind ourselves that we would be hypocrites to refrain from seeking Him.  Let us encourage one another, because we will all face days like this. We need one another in His Body, we need traveling companions, brothers and sisters who will enfold us back into the Way, the Truth and the Life that is Jesus.  

Not sure what to read or pray?  Turn to Colosians 1:9-19; and Ephesians  3:14-21; and Romans 8.  

“O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places. …Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”  Psalm 43:3,5