I've been under the weather for a few days now, and as I have been struggling to find things to help me feel better, it has really made me think about how we can become "spiritually under the weather" too... and how we might look for a quick fix when this happens.
When we become physically sick, a lot of the time, not all the time, we look at what we are not getting enough of and then we all the sudden add this to our bodies as fast as we can. We take extra vitamin C, or we drink tea with antioxidants in it, or we blast our bodies with other vitamins and such that we don't normally take. And so many times I've heard things like.."well if you would have been taking that stuff all along then you immune system would be stronger and you wouldn't have gotten sick", and I'll admit there is probably a lot of truth to that... So there is also a lot of truth to this is our spiritual life as well. Sometimes we get on a good streak in our spiritual life where all we are firing on all cylinders with God. We are hitting our devotionals every day, we are making time to pray and spend time with Him, and we are getting to everything that's going on at church. But then over time, little by little, we begin to slip a little here and slip a little there. And before you know it you don't have the constancy in your life that you once had. But where we can become very foolish is by thinking that the enemy doesn't see what's going on in our life too. He sees that we are becoming spiritually weak, even when we refuse to see it. And it's in these moments that he will hit you with something out of the ordinary just to see if he can get you to trip or fall. Maybe something comes along and really tests your patience, or maybe a new temptation comes your way, or even worse, an old one that you really thought would never be an issue again. Or this can be the time that he delivers a hardship into your life to see if he can get you to blame God and just give up. What is going on when this happens?...You are spiritually sick. And just like when you are physically sick, there is not a magical quick fix. The physical body will need to build it's immune system back up and become strong again so it can kick this thing that is attacking it....and the the spiritual body will need to do the same thing. You WILL need to bring things back into your spiritual life to build up your spirit man and be able to face the things the enemy is hitting you with. You'll need to build your faith back up as well. Remember, in times like this, it's not God who has moved, it is us. And you may need to take a good hard look at your daily routines to see what you have let slide away, or what things you have allowed to slide in. If you are like me, then you never really appreciate how healthy you were until you get sick. When you feel run down you just want to feel 100% again. And when you are not at 100% with God you will know it too. Sometimes we want to go into denial and say we're fine, but the best thing you can do is admit to yourself that you aren't, and then do what it takes to get back. Denial of the truth just leaves room for satan to slip in. Just like denying you are physically sick just leaves room to get even more sick. It's just now worth it!
Please know that the things I'm talking about are not "works" simply for the sake of works. That will not strengthen your spirit. I am talking about getting back to a place with God. A place where the heart desires and longs for the good things you once had in place in your life. 1 Samuel 16:7 says "...For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". God always knows the status of our heart. Even if you are trying with everything that is in your to keep up your good works, God knows when the heart has grown distant from Him. Don't find out that you are growing distant by allowing the enemy room to move in. Instead let the Holy Spirit point out your weaknesses, and then do what it takes to regain your spiritual health again.
God, thank You that you are so patient with us. We do go through ups and downs with you. We climb to the mountain and then slide back down in the valley. But You are always with us. Help us to hear when the Holy Spirit is warning us that we are slipping away from you and help us to welcome your correction and direction so we can maintain a good spiritual health with You. In Jesus name, Amen
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