DAY 114 - KEEPING YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY
CONNOR GRIM, YA ASSOCIATE PASTOR & VOLUNTEER TEAM LEAD
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” - Romans 12:11
Have you ever found yourself just burnt out in your walk with Jesus? Not that you’ve fallen into a sin pattern or you’re totally given up on your faith, but you just feel a little dry?
Things that once had you excited about worshipping Jesus now feel mundane or like a chore. You used to count down until Sunday to go to church with your friends, but if your honest recently it feels like an obligation. Praying and reading your bible used to give you life and now it feels like a duty you have to do or a box you need to check off to be a “good christian.”
It’s safe to say we’ve all found ourselves in a season like this before. If I’m being honest, I’m in one of those seasons right now. I think the weight of church via a screen and lack of personal interaction is taking a toll on my soul more than I realized. But how do we respond in these seasons? Is it okay to live in a state of spiritutal melancholy?
Romans 12:11 tells us that God wants us to keep a spiritual “zeal” and “fervor” when it comes to serving the Lord. That while we might walk through moments of feeling spiritually uninterested, we actually need to fight to keep our “spiritual energy” up, expecting goodness from God.
I know that you might not get a say in the season of life you’re in. You might be facing hardship or difficulty, or maybe you’ve experienced loss, or heck, maybe you’re just tired of all the distancing and pixels you have to stare at just to feel like you’re making human connection. HOWEVER, I want to encourage you, that while you’re never promised perfect seasons your promised that you can take control of your spirit.
You can actually stir up excitement and joy about serving and following Jesus even in the darkest of seasons. Not only can you, God actually wants you to. Paul was encouraging the church in Rome to fight for zeal, fight for energy, because you’re gonna need it. God isn’t into fake hype. That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the genuine discipline of encouraging yourself in the Lord.
Maybe today you just feel so dry in your faith. Pray and ask God to restore your energy for serving Him. It’s a good prayer and one He will take joy in ansering!