Do you ever feel stagnant? Stuck in the mud? In life... In you faith?
Sometimes life does get us down. We feel like we're not getting anywhere... Sort of like we just keep doing the same things over and over again...
What if we get to a point where our relationship with Christ starts to feel this way?
The past few years have been pretty tough around here. We have seen a lot of people go through job loss and the loss of about everything else you can imagine. Personally, we have been very blessed. I have a great job, and countless other things for which to thank God. But, medical bills for the boys have slowly been piling up. And, there have been close family members going through some difficult changes. It has taken it's toll... (just look at my hair line and gray beard).
As I look back over the past year, I was becoming very stagnant. Now, I am back. On fire. Alive.
What got me hear may not work for you. There was one key ingredient though that must be there.
So what is it? Prayer. Not the kind where you say God take me out of this slump. Those don't always work... sometimes you're in the slump for a reason. I prayed for Christ to be alive in me once again. I prayed for God to correct my ways of thinking and help me think more like Him. And I prayed over and over again. And (fittingly for me and my love of music) God spoke to me through the lyrics of a band.
Now... I'm back.
Excerpt from Oh, Sleeper's song The New Breed.We make our stand here between the angels and animals.We fear nothing here, where we can beat any feat set to keep us crawling.We’re calling you here to give leave to destruction of fearand stand tall against all who will dare to shake you. Don’t let them shake you."Stand strong, where I could not, please stand strong"Oh please, this plea, dear God, let it not from my lips be conceived.So grip your fist and swing until your knuckles bleed.If you are the new breed scream, "I am immortal!"We can’t sit quietly because there’s more to life than we see.So if you are the new breed scream, "I am Immortal in you!"
How do you get past the stagnant points in your life? Is anything else stagnant in your life bleeding into your faith? How do you keep your relationship with Christ alive?