Ever since I started this blog two and a half years ago, I’ve been keeping a list of all of the different ideas that I’ve wanted to talk about (thanks, notes app). Sometimes, my inspiration comes from a Bible verse or a thing I’ve seen on social media that interests me. In addition, a lot of these topics come from my own life experiences, and things that I’ve gone through that gave me a passion to talk about it. I’ve been doing multiple series since the spring, with the Churches of the New Testament, Summer Series, and Stories, which were all super important to me. However, I’ve put a lot of these miscellaneous topics to the side for a while, and I really wanted to spend some time getting back to them. So although the next few months won’t be as structured as they have been, this is a good opportunity to get back in the groove of more in-depth Bible studies. I’m so used to the journalistic style that I’ve written since the summer, so it will be an adjustment for me, but I’m excited to push myself to spend more time in my Bible.
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As a lot of you know, my blog was built on the idea of being authentic, and not shying away from showing you guys real moments in my life. Since November, my relationship with God has been struggling. I haven’t been in my Bible much, and my prayer life has been pretty much nonexistent. I’ve struggled with guilt a lot lately because I know that I’ve been neglecting something super important to me. I know that my faith should be the most important part of my life, and it hurts to realize that it has fallen by the wayside.
If you have been in the same spot as I’m in right now, know that this isn’t uncommon. Even though, as Christians, we know that we should dedicate every part of our lives to God. However, that is much easier said than done. Our flesh gets in the way, and it is easy to allow other things in life to take priority.
So, the first thing to know when you are feeling far from God is that you are not alone in this. This is a part of being human: making mistakes is proof of our sinful nature. If we never struggled with our relationship with God, then we would have no reason for Jesus. Believing that you are the only person struggling with someone leads to isolation, which only makes the issue worse. When you realize that other people struggle with the same things that you struggle with, it allows you to ask for help and have people to keep you accountable.
Another thing to remember is the character of God. The God we serve does not base His love for us on how we treat Him. He is graceful, and has so much love for us that He sees us past our sin. When we got saved, He washed our sins and sees us as saved and clean. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). The Lord’s love is so great that He doesn’t define us by our mistakes. Praise the Lord for that!
Personally, I find it a lot easier to ask for forgiveness when I know that I am coming to a loving, patient, and forgiving God. In fact, asking for forgiveness is the first step. It’s really hard, and I know that I definitely do not do it enough, but it helps us get back on track with God, and directs us to seeing our need for a relationship with our Creator. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12).
After seeking help from others and asking God for forgiveness, a great step to take is to start small. I find that if I am motivated one day to read chapters at a time after a slump, the motivation wears off quickly and I am back at square one. Instead, reinstating small habits, like praying to God while getting ready in the morning, or reading a favorite verse when you wake up, will help you refocus your eyes on Christ. The more you start with these things, the Lord will strengthen you and push you to spend more time with him. Feeling the freedom that comes with spending time with God, and getting to hear what He has to say in the Bible, helps us grow closer to Him. Don’t be ashamed if this doesn’t work out perfectly: I haven’t read my Bible or prayed at all today, and it makes me feel so unqualified to be writing this right now. In all honesty, I feel like I’m writing this blog post to myself, to get me out of this slump so that I can start this next semester with God at the forefront of my mind.
I am so grateful to have a God that loves me no matter what, even when I totally abandon Him and allow the little things of this world to take my eyes away from what truly matters. Praise the Lord!
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