Feeling Stuck?
Mindy Simmons
Have you ever felt stuck in your walk with God? Or, maybe you would describe it as feeling stagnant, hitting a plateau, spiritual dryness, or just going through the motions?
I have experienced this many times over my life as a Christian. I know the importance of practicing spiritual disciplines, such as Bible reading, prayer, confession, fasting, and worship, yet there have been times where I simply lack the motivation to do them. When I’m not investing time and effort into my relationship with God, I feel further away from Him. And this is true of any relationship - if you don’t communicate or spend time together, you tend to drift apart.
Do you have any friends that you don’t necessarily see or talk to often, but when you do hang out, it’s like you haven’t skipped a beat? There are a few treasured friends in my life where this is the case; we know each other well and have a rich history, and might go months or years without talking. Then, when we do see each other, it’s a beautiful reunion and it doesn’t take much effort to quickly reconnect, catch up on life, and still feel known by each other. But I also know that if we had done a better job keeping in touch, our friendships would be even stronger, healthier, and much closer.
Our relationship with God can be like this. When we’ve been feeling stuck, but then choose to seek God more closely again, it can be like we’ve never skipped a beat. He knows us intimately - better than we know ourselves. God is always faithful to be there for us when we draw closer to Him. He is never too busy or too far away to spend time with us - we just need to seek Him. And He never “guilt-trips” us if we have failed to talk to Him in a while.
James 4:8a reminds us to “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
So, what are some practical ways to get unstuck? Here are a few ideas:
Talk to God about how you feel. Take time to pray. It’s ok to communicate with God like you would a friend that you haven’t talked to in a while. Acknowledge that you feel stuck and ask God for help.
Set Realistic Goals. Sometimes, we feel pressured to read the Bible or pray for an extended period of time every day. Instead, start with realistic and achievable goals. It’s better to spend a small amount of time with God daily than none at all. And, once you start, the motivation will typically follow and you will want to spend more and more time with Him.
Establish a Routine. We tend to be creatures of habit, so develop a routine to practice spiritual disciplines. Maybe you find a great Bible app and listen to it every morning on your commute. Or perhaps you decide that every night before bed you will read the Bible and pray. Whatever the routine is, start it, and aim for consistency.
Explore different approaches. If you find that your current method of reading the Bible or praying is no longer engaging, consider trying another approach. Incorporate musical worship, follow a model such as Lectio Divina, copy Scripture and write prayers in a journal, or find other study tools that engage your heart and mind more fully.
Find accountability. Sharing your commitment with a trusted friend or family member can provide motivation and accountability. Our walk with God was never intended to be done alone - we were created to live in community with one another.
Join a group. Participating in a Bible Study group or Discovery Bible Study may be a great way to reconnect to Scripture and grow your faith.
Remember that your faith journey is a lifelong process. My prayer for you today is that you will take steps to continue growing your faith and deepen your relationship with God.