Friday Faith Check-up: Do You Suffer from the "Same Old, Same Old" Faith Syndrome..?

"If you're going in the wrong direction, turning around is the only right direction." -Woodrow Kroll

Too much familiarity with things has the potential to lead to boredom, apathy, lethargy, dullness, torpor, and a myriad other nouns that can be used to describe our relationship with them.

I call this "the same old, same old" syndrome. This malady, like a disease, develops gradually over time; and is almost unnoticeable until it has become well entrenched. We can readily apply this indisposition to personal or romantic relationships, for example.

Usually, they start off like gang-busters. The energy, drive, desire, and devotion is running at full speed. Everything is fresh, new, and exciting, and the possibilities are endless. Now, let's compare this to when you first came to know Christ.

Honestly, most of us were probably just like this, too. Everything was great, wasn't it? We found a good Bible-based church to attend, ran out and bought a new Bible, signed up for study groups, and couldn't wait to tell any and all about our new life! Yes, it was pretty exciting stuff to be sure.

But, something, somehow, happened along the way. Maybe not on purpose, or planned, but something changed. What was once thrilling and heart-racing became mundane and even uninteresting. A once white-hot relationship has now fizzled out to a smoldering heap. This happens to a lot of relationships...even with our relationship to Jesus Christ.

Now that I have pointed all of this out, is it time to panic? As in any type of stressful situation, it's a good idea to stop, take a deep breath, and calm down. Fortunately, it's a lot easier to restore a faltering relationship with Our Lord than with another individual. You see, God always wants us to come back to Him. And He will patiently wait (Isaiah 30:18).

So what can we do to re-kindle the spark? Although, we couldn't possibly cover all that I'd like to here today, I can share a few suggestions to help start the process. First, understand that there is a purpose for our being here, and God is fully committed to helping each of us realize that purpose, Keep in mind however, it's His purpose and not ours.

Next, be appreciative for every gift that God has provided to you. It doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering. Even be those little things like a kind smile, or word, from someone when you really needed it can be considered a gift. Isn't God wonderful like that? Give him thanks!

Then, and I can't stress this enough, get back into the Word. Dust off that Bible, open it up, and start reading! Let God's Word refresh, and replenish your dry, starved spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). Don't wait for God to text you, or connect with You on social media. The best place to get the ball rolling again is that Bible sitting there on your shelf. Get to it!

And finally, I understand that life can get very busy and unpredictable, believe me. But you must stay committed to God. You must hang tough, stay faithful, and loyal. Relationships with others are dependent on both parties being on the same page. We have no control over what the other person ultimately wants to do. Which can be problematic.

We don't ever have to worry about this with God. God's love is without end. He will never pull away, turn away, or run away from us. No matter what ugly, selfish, or knuckle-headed thing we do, He will always be there (Isaiah 54:8; Romans 8:39). He is not the weakest link in this relationship. We are!

Jesus came to earth, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven in order to give us a direct connection to God (Romans 8:1). This does us no good if we don't use it. Repent, pray for forgiveness, and come back to God. Fire up your relationship with Him today!

Scripture: Psalm 51:10; Revelation 21:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:23; Deuteronomy 30:14

Prayer: Dear Lord, may our relationship always be strong and unshakeable; and my faith firm and committed to You always. Amen

Have a blessed weekend!

Kaye