When you first experienced the incredible gift of salvation – you may have felt closer to Jesus than ever and were eager to share your newfound faith.
But as the hits and storms of life continue to roll in – maybe you find yourself not really “feeling” as close to Jesus as before… or even experiencing a spiritual dullness in your life.
If you struggle with this, know you aren’t alone – but there is something you can do to remedy it.
An Accurate Assessment
First – take an inventory of your life.
Are you actually spending time with Jesus? Reading Scripture and meditating on His Word?
Do you pray regularly? Are you confessing your sins daily, and asking Him for help?
If you find yourself “too busy” with work, school, or relationships to spend time with Jesus – then you’ve already discovered the main problem!
We spend time with those we love.
If Jesus is truly your first love – you will spend time with Him and make Him a priority.
Your Feelings Aren’t In Charge
Some people who are going through a season of spiritual dullness may “feel” that God has left them.
But it’s important to remember that just because we “feel” a certain way – it doesn’t make it true.
It’s good to be aware of how you feel and acknowledge it – but it’s also crucial to remember what God’s Word says.
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
All throughout Scripture He has promised to never abandon nor forsake His children…
… so why would He start now!?
Remember – the devil is a liar and deceiver.
He’ll always try and get you to doubt God’s goodness and presence in your life.
Ask God For Help
The incredible thing about God is – He knows it all. He searches our hearts and minds and knows our true intentions.
If you feel distant from God – cry out to Him – ask Him to help you rekindle your love and desire for spending time with Him, learning from His Word, and living out His purpose for your life.
It’s a myth to think Christians never go through seasons of spiritual dullness – but those who are recognize something is off – and they take steps to get back on track.
Do You Really Love Him?
And finally – it’s crucial as we pray for God to search our hearts, and as we take inventory of our own lives, we consider how we are actually living.
We may say we love God…
… but if the way we live our life looks just like the rest of the world – then it’s important we acknowledge that our actions and words don’t match.
It’s not that we all won’t mess up from time to time – but it’s important to remember that if we truly love God – we will obey Him and keep His commands.
As Desiring God states so well:
“And we, like Peter, have also failed to love Jesus. Perhaps we have denied him publicly at times. We certainly have denied him thousands of times privately, choosing to pursue other treasures because we believed they held greater pleasures. These failures are real and horrible — worse than we might realize.
The question is, how true is this now? Are we living in failure, allowing the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of sin to choke out our love for Jesus (Matthew 13:22; Hebrews 3:13)?
Have we grown accustomed to talking abstractly and dutifully about loving Jesus while passionately wanting and pursuing other things? Have we given ourselves permission to consider our lack of love for Jesus to be normal because lots of other Christians seem content living this way?”
The goal is not to beat yourself up when asking these questions – but to ask them so you can honestly assess your spiritual state.
Remember Jesus loves you – and He has not abandoned you.
If you have put other things before Him – repent – and ask Him to help you live in His love and return to Him.
He is faithful, and He is the great Physician who can restore you to wholeness.
Have you abandoned your first love?
What are some steps you can take to ensure you are spending enough time with God each day?
You can post your answers to our Facebook page and join in the conversation with other believers from all around the world.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
To stay current on the latest Christian Life Daily stories, follow us on Facebook and be sure to like and share our posts!