Scripture: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT
Devotion is defined as profound dedication, an assignment to a purpose, or earnest attachment to a cause/person. In the introduction of Romans 12, Paul urges us to give our physical and spiritual bodies to God. He says the act should be like a “living sacrifice” inciting this is a true way to worship God. However, what do you do when you feel like you’ve lost your urge to live a devoted life to God and the scriptural teachings? How do you regain your momentum? Although you may feel limp spiritually, I hope the four crafted truths below turn the wheels of your heart to regain your spiritual strengthen & devotion to God again.
One. Understand that you are not the only one.
The trick of the enemy is to make you feel like you are the only person feeling lost and confused but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Contrary to popular belief, there are young adults across the world that feel like they’re going with the motions of their faith walk despite their fancy Christian Instagram highlight reel. Therefore, don’t be too hard on yourself! Trust me, there is someone on the other side of life going through the same exact thing spiritually.
Two. Go to small group or bible study for fellowship.
Scripture tells us that the spirit of God is in our midst whenever two or three are gathered, so why are you okay with being alone? The number one rule to losing your devotion is to stray away from community. As Christians, we need to remember that the epicenter of our faith is revolved around the notion of community. Jesus told his followers that others will know they were his disciples by the way they loved one another. Loving someone else requires you to be close to them. It requires you to allow them to encourage you in these fallen moments. Attending small group or bible study aids in fellowship and encouragement from other believers. Sometimes being around other Christians can reignite the flame in your desire for God.
Three. Pray even when you don’t feel like it.
Prayer is simply communicating with God. John Piper says, “Prayer is God granting humans the dignity of casualty”. Meaning, God grants us the dignity of joining with him in glorifying himself as part of the cause of all that he does. Therefore, when the Bible purports “we have not because we ask not,” it’s an indirect command to talk to God regardless of how we feel. Don’t let your emotions push you away from talking to God because your most vulnerable moments matter to him. Stop what you’re doing right now and ask God for clarity. Tell him you’ve been feeling stuck lately and you want to get back to a heart of worship. Ask in faith daily for clarity and watch your life turn around.
Four. Pick up the Bible anyway and turn up that worship music!
Do you ever wonder why you start to feel angry or irritable after watching trash reality tv shows? Or do you ever wonder why you feel sluggish and lethargic after eating an unhealthy meal? If you want to be in a better mood overall, you will have to be intentional on what you feed your mind and body. I call this the "input-output" effect. The same applies to your spiritual health. Are you feeling lost and spiritually unmotivated? Pick up your bible and read a verse or chapter to lift your spirits. The best place I recommend starting is reading the romantic book of John or the bundle of wisdom in Proverbs.
I'm suggesting John because the Christian faith derives from Jesus’ teachings and this book is a great vantage point to understand Jesus’ divine nature. It will remind you why you decided to be a Christian in the first place. Then the book of proverbs is filled with wisdom and it gives you a chapter to read for each day of the month, so you never have an excuse on why you didn’t read your bible for the day. Don’t forget to turn up the worship music! The melodies and the message in the song will captivate you enough to feel close to Jesus again. Side note: The song below is on my current fave playlist, check it out!
Overall, please don’t feel like you’re the only one struggling on this walk with Christ. We’re all on a journey to sanctification and we need each other to get through this. Remember to fellowship with other believers and pray even when you don’t feel like it. Then pick up your Bible to read a passage a day and turn up the worship music to feel the presence of the Lord in your space.
Until next time,
Until Next Time...
Peace & Blessings, XOXO
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