It happens to most of us – we deal with spiritual ruts at some point in our lives. Tomorrow I’ll give suggestions for dealing with a rut, but here are some signs to see if you’re in one now.
- You read the Word, but it’s only a “check-the-box” perfunctory reading. You do it because you know you’re supposed to, not because you want to.
- You pray, but your prayer is brief and repetitive. It’s lost any real sense of relationship between you and God.
- You can’t readily talk about what God’s been teaching you lately. That’s because you haven’t been in the best spiritual condition to learn from Him.
- You feel “spiritually tired.” I don’t know how else to describe it: you just feel blah about your spiritual walk.
- You’ve not shared the gospel with anyone for a long time. That happens when we’re in a rut—our attention to evangelism gets diverted.
- You go to church, but with no sense of excitement or anticipation. You’re still faithful Sunday after Sunday – and you might even serve each week – but you have no expectation that worship will move your heart.
- You’re less sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction when you’re under temptation. It used to be that you turned to God and fled temptation quickly; you still fight temptation today, but with less zeal.
- All of your testimony relates to what God has done in the past, with no present-tense stories of God’s work in your life. All the high points of your spiritual growth have been in your yesterdays. Today is just routine.
- You find yourself less interested in hanging out with other believers. Fellowship has become routine, so it doesn’t motivate you to join with others.
- Your spiritual walk is on autopilot. You do what you’re expected to do as a Christian, but you’re just going through the motions.
Are you in a spiritual rut? Tell us how we might pray for you.
Lord, Father bless me to be in favor with my teachers as authority figures as I should be in favor of You my Heavenly authority figure. Amen!