Standing Still with Your Faith

DEVOTIONAL READING
2nd Corinthians 12, Verses 9-10 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Recently the fervor and spiritual passion in my life faded. The whirlwind of spiritual interest that often carries me has dissipated for awhile. But I continue to take communion, sing the songs, attend Bible study, and when it's not a Sunday be thankful to God for my blessings, and try and live the good life the Christian faith demands. This is what I mean by "standing still with my faith". I mean also: observe, think, grow, and you have to stand still to do that.

What about you? Have you "stood still with your faith" recently? Or did you give up practicing your faith when your passions dwindled? Did you give in to indecency? Did you forget about loved ones and turn inward to self? Did you go looking for something to fill what felt like a spiritual gap or hole in your life and end up lost? I have done all of these in the past. Instead of taking the time to observe, think, and grow I've gone searching for the next spiritual high (or other kind of high). Spiritual fervor can be as strongly pleasing as any cocktail or drug. 

But I've observed, thought, and grown this time by "standing still". I've observed that my prayer life is stagnant for specific reasons. I've observed that I have been over-stressed by life's continual race, and that I have not always reacted well to that stress, and I'm developing new tactics. I've noticed that my spiritual passions have led to impulsive actions, and that I am not usually observing life enough to grow in a healthy way as needed; I need my brain as well as my heart, educated thoughts as well as feelings.

Passionate thinking can lead to impulsive, incoherent, and erroneous thinking. It can lead us to believe things spiritually that are unhealthy or ignorant. From what I can tell many Christians are under the influence of misguided doctrine, or dumbed-down doctrine that does not possess or pass along the mature Christian faith as told through the Bible. It feeds itself on offering a spiritual high as it's mantra. It can be too feel-good with too many slogans and not enough understanding. Sometimes "standing still in our own faith" means catching up on our understanding to the level of our fervor and commitment. Remember, observe, think, and grow.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER
Dear God, This time in my life is one for observation, thinking, and growth. I thank you for the many chapters in my life and avenues that have been presented to keep me on a good track. Maybe I am luckier than most, or maybe Your hand combined with good choices has led me to the blessings I have today.  But I can remember so many times I made terrible choices and did not pay full consequences. My prayer life needs my attention and I commit to tending to it. My life is improving by standing still for a moment. May Your glory overwhelm me again in the future. Amen.