Get Unstuck and get growing
Do you feel like you’re no longer growing closer to God?
Does your Christian life lack enthusiasm and excitement?
Has your spirituality become dull and dried up?
Healthy things grow; unfortunately not everything stays healthy. Sometimes Christians fall into a rut that keeps them from growing spiritually.
If you’re in a rut right now, DON’T keep banging your head against the wall. Everyone falls into ruts . . . the question is what are you going to do about it?
We have identified some principles to help you climb out of that rut and continue growing today. And if you’re not in a rut right now, these principles can help you avoid one.
Do more than just read through the following list. Think about each one and apply it to your own life. Journal on the principles you’re having a difficult time with in your life. It’s our prayer that these may be a source of hope and direction for your life. Should you ever want to talk to any leader in our ministry, just let us know—we want to help!
12 principles to help you climb out and move forward
Save the Best for the best principle
Mark 1:35
Did you know the Creator of the universe wants to spend personal time with you? This is one of those appointments we should see as important. If you were going to a job interview, you’d show up prepared. You wouldn’t be tired, or easily distracted. You’d listen well and do your best to communicate clearly. The same is true with time spent with God: show up ready to listen and learn (don’t see this as a perfect example: you need to try to impress your perspective boss; this isn’t true with God). One way to help you get ready is to pick a time when you are at your best. Are you a morning person or a night person? Set aside your best time for the best person in your life: God. You may show up to class tired, and if you did it all the time, you’d never learn. Why do we sometimes live out our faith like it’s a class we don’t like?
First Things always Principle
Revelation 2:2-5
This is one of the most important principles on this list because this passage was originally written on this issue of faith getting stuck in a rut. John’s advice is simple and to the point: do the things you did when you first became a Christian. Remember the joy and excitement you had when you began taking God seriously? Remember the anticipation you felt right before you went to church or read your Bible–that feeling of, “I can’t wait for this!”
When I started taking my faith seriously, I spent a lot of time reading the Bible, making notes and writing out my questions. Now, I sometimes forget to do these “first things” because I label them as “basic,” thinking that I’m too advanced for those baby steps. Nothing could be further from the truth! Leaving behind the “first things” is a sure way to remain in the rut. What were those first things you loved to do? If a Christian wants to avoid (or climb out of) the rut, he or she needs to do the “first things” always. Here’s a great goal: live every day of faith as if it were the first day. Rediscover the “first things” you did to grow, and pursue them with all of your heart.
Forgiveness Principle
Philippians 3:12-15 | Matthew 5:23-24
Don’t feel guilty for missing past quiet times–especially to the point of paralysis. The purpose of guilt is to move you closer to God, not the despair of moving further away. Every Christian makes mistakes, and guilt is the Holy Spirit’s whisper inviting you back to the Cross for God’s forgiveness. When you stumble in your faith, commit to “failing forward:” come to God and ask his forgiveness. If you slack off in your current devotional plan (you should have one, see below, the “Variety Principle”), don’t try to “catch up.” Just continue to move forward. Rest in God’s grace, it is the only path for continual growth.
There is another aspect of this principle: if you want to worship God in the way that he intended, you need to seek the forgiveness of others when you wrong them. If you have offended another person, you’ll need to do what it takes to make amends in order to remove that stumbling block to your growth.
Anti-Ritual Principle
Isaiah 28:13 | Matthew 6:1
It’s abundantly clear that God is concerned with the condition of a person’s heart. There’s a word that describes a person whose actions don’t reflect their heart: hypocrite. God wants pure hearts, not falsified actions. He isn’t looking for people who “act” good but aren’t good on the inside. It is important for a Christian not to do things simply because it’s what “looks good” or is the Christian “socially acceptable” thing to do.
Unfortunately, Christians are great shots when it comes to shooting their wounded. This creates an environment where people feel the need to be fake, fearfully hiding spiritual weaknesses. It’s important not to do things when you don’t feel like doing them. Don’t ritualize your faith, turning it into a series of meaningless, empty actions. Just “going through the motions” isn’t helpful for continued spiritual growth, and it doesn’t impress God.
Praise and Observation principle
Deut 8:10-11 | Deuteronomy 4:9
People are great at getting used to things. We normalize our repeated experiences, becoming accustomed to them and often taking them for granted. Some actions need to become familiar if we want to live a normal functioning life. Our spirituality shouldn’t become one of those things we get used to. Spirituality shouldn’t be stereotyped. The Israelites fell into this rut (see the warning in Deuteronomy 8:17), and became complacent in their faith.
The antidote is twofold: praise and observation. Praising God means thanking him for his blessings. Praising God for the good things he did in the past, will alert us to watch for them in the future. Waiting expectantly for God to act is a sure way to fight off spiritually devastating familiarity.
It is also important that we become careful observers. Keeping a close watch on our lives will prepare us to tackle the beginning stages of stereotyping our faith. Instead of waiting for the shipwreck, we can make important adjustments the moment we veer off course. Feeling dull and dried out? Tired of that same old thing? Start praising God today, and commit to keeping a close watch on your life.
Movement Verses Position Principle
2 Corinthians 10:12
Comparison leads to trouble: when you compare your own spirituality to someone else, you’ll almost always lose. If you see the other person as less mature, you become puffed up with pride. If you see the other as more mature, you can become discouraged. Pride leads to laziness. Discouragement leads to giving up. The reality is that there will always be someone “above” you and “below” you and this shouldn’t affect our attitude since we are to always consider others better than ourselves–no matter what (see Philippians 2:3). Movement towards God is important, not one’s position in relation to others. It doesn’t matter how far you’ve run, just make sure you keep running.
Variety Principle
Every Christian needs to create some kind of a spiritual growth game plan. Mix up your routine, don’t feel like you need to read the same book every time, or do the same thing. Here are several options for what to do during your quiet time:
- Journal about a meaningful passage, exploring what God wants to teach you
- Journal about your life, examining your actions
- Journal your prayers to God
- Meditate on a single verse or phrase, thinking about what it means
- Memorize a meaningful verse
- Pray out-loud or silently
- Read a devotional book or commentary
- Read a large portion of Scripture (two chapters or more), to get general ideas and thought flow
- Read a small portion of Scripture, and carefully digest each verse
- Silence: sit and listen to God
- Sing praise songs
- Write out major life lessons and reread them periodically to remember what God has taught you in the past
Another aspect to this principle is where you do your quiet time. It’s important to have a consistent place where you normally spend time with God. But it’s also good to have some special places (like the beach or a park) where you can enjoy God’s creation.
Consistency Principle
You need to be consistent with the time you spend with God; once a month, or even once a week simply won’t cut it. This principle is very easy to understand but difficult to practice. You’d be surprised at the number of people who complain of a stagnant faith, yet haven’t read their Bible in a month, and then wonder why they’re not growing. It’s important to create a consistent time (even five minutes a day is a great start) and place, where you are comfortable, away from distractions, and is easily accessible. Quality AND quantity is important! Take a look at your time, how much are you wasting?
Obedience Principle
Luke 17:10
There is an interesting and complicated relationship between our feelings and our actions. While I can’t pretend to understand all of the intricacies of the how we were made, I do know that feelings and actions impact each other. Actions change feelings, and feelings change actions. Here is the truth of this principle: don’t let the overwhelming feelings that come from rut-like spirituality keep you from obedience. Negative feelings shouldn’t keep you from doing the good we already know to do.
Diligence without doing it all Principle
John 15:16
Spiritual growth is a lot like water skiing. In order to ski, there are two basic, yet required, elements: the boat and the person. The boat clearly has more power and does most of the work, but the boat alone can’t make a person ski. Although there’s not comparison between the powerboat’s engine and the skier’s muscles, both are required elements. When it comes to growing spiritually (“skiing”), it takes God’s power (like the boat) working in us, and our power to build up our relationship with God. Many who don’t grow in their faith, either lack the diligence to do their part, or they try and do it all without waiting for God, without working alongside God. Are you playing your part to grow in your faith? Are you trying to do it all on your own, apart from God?
Unequal Love Principle
Ephesians 3:18-19 | Psalm 57:10, 108:4 | Ephesians 2:4-5 | Philippians 1:6
Have you forgotten how much God loves you? We need that perspective. Remembering that God loves us brings everything else into focus in it’s proper light. When the big picture isn’t easily or often remembered, things get out of proportion. Worries and dangers become more than what they really are, like frightening shadows in a child’s room. Those shadows disappear with the light. God loves us more than we can possibly love ourselves and he’s more concerned with our growth than we are. Take hold of this hope, that the Creator of the universe longs to be with YOU, and be ready for his help. Have you remembered how much God loves you? Spend some time in creation and remind yourself of all the wonder and beauty God is sharing with you.
You’re not alone Principle
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 | 1 Corinthians 10:13
And here we come to another aspect of the big picture worth remembering: you’re not alone. There’s not a mature Christian alive who hasn’t faced (and overcome) a rut in his/her spiritual growth. Slow progress and no progress has been happening since the beginning of time, and will continue until Jesus returns. You can–with God’s help, of course–pull yourself out of the rut. No problem you ever face will be too big for you and God to handle.
Sometimes it helps to find someone and talk to them about how you are feeling stuck or stalled. Everything will not be fixed the first time you have a conversation, but give it some time and build your relationship.