This post is all about how to get out of a spiritual rut.
Sometimes along our Christian journey, we can feel unmotivated and discouraged. Life can get in the way of our zeal and excitement for God, and our day-to-day commitment to Christ can take a major hit and start to waver. We begin to pray less, read our Bible less, maybe give into sin or our old habits, and overall lack any desire for God’s presence or growth. This can often feel like a never-ending pit, and the longer we stay away from God, the harder it feels to get back on track.
If you find yourself in a spiritual rut, don’t be ashamed. Almost every Christian will experience this at least once in their life, and it is not a sign that you are too far gone. Living for Jesus can be hard, but striving to do our best and getting up after every fall is what matters most.
Rediscover your passion for God and get out of a spiritual rut with these three tips.
3 Things to do when you’re in a spiritual rut
1. Don’t necessarily do more, but of more quality.
“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”” Luke 21:1-4 NKJV
We should focus on developing a relationship with God instead of developing a relationship with rules. If we try to force ourselves to pray, fast, and go to church for the sole purpose of “this is what i am supposed to do”, we will lose sight of the true joy and reason behind it.
If we treat Jesus as a chore, it will quickly become that. Spending time with Him, reading His word, and worshipping the Almighty is a privilege. Reframe your mindset about investing in your relationship with Christ. Imagine this: You are getting to talk to the Creator and Ruler of the entire universe. God has literally made everything and everyone that has ever and will ever exist. He is the most powerful being and yet he wants to be your friend!
Try not to look at your work for Jesus as a set mark or amount that you must do. Yes, it is great to pray for hours at a time some days, but short ten minute or 5-minute prayers can be just as effective. It is your heart that Jesus wants. Jesus understands that some days are harder than others. He simply wants us to give him our all. If you don’t have much, don’t stress about it! Give what you have until you have more! When we begin to overanalyze what we have to give, or stress and worry if it is enough or perfect, we can end up not giving anything at all. Jesus doesn’t want our perfect, he just wants our best.
So, measure what you do for Jesus in the amount of how deep your heart was in it, not how much or how long you did it for.
2. Invite Christ into your everyday. Don’t put him inside a box.
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” Psalms 139:1-4 NKJV
Many of us have friends or family members that we can call or text to update them about how our day is going, any minor inconvenience or funny thing they witnessed, or just to sit and chat. Jesus is supposed to be our number one best friend, so we should do the same with him as well! A great way to take the pressure off of being so perfect and put together all the time is to invite Jesus into the everyday, mundane parts of our life.
While you go about your day, talk with Jesus. Tell him what’s on your mind. Imagine he is right there next to you at all time (because he is!). He wants to know all about it. Walking with Jesus literally means just that. Walk and talk with him in your going and coming, sitting and rising, and soon you will see and feel yourself more connected with Him. After all, what are best friends for?
There are so many depths and layers to Jesus that you will never ever figure Him out. Even if you spend every second of every day from when you were born until you die, you will never reach the full understanding and capacity of Jesus Christ. The Bible can give us new revelations to us each time we read it- even if it is the same scripture again and again. Open up your heart and mind to Jesus and allow him to fill it with his awesome wonder and power. There is so much to know and learn about God. Never think that you have ever “arrived” or reached a place where God can’t completely amaze you once again. In his presence, we can get a new refreshing of his spirit that was better than the last.
Also know this, just like our day to day needs change, God can fulfill them with updated miracles and blessings. If you need comfort one day, but excitement the next, God will tailor his gifts to what you are going through at the moment. Isn’t that incredible? Just ask him. When it hurts, know that God understands. When all you can do is cry as your prayer, know that it is enough.
3. Let your “why” direct your heart
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Psalms 37:4-5 NKJV
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 NKJV
Lastly, whenever you find yourself in a spiritual rut, don’t forget why you are doing this in the first place. Everything we do is to deepen our relationship with Jesus. We should strive to know him more and more each day because by knowing him more, we become more like him. By becoming more like Christ, the bad parts of us begin to cease to exist. We become more holy and honorable in his sight and can then call heaven our home at the end of life.
In truth, there are so many great reasons to serve God. This goes far past the typical reason of wanting to escape hell and make it into heaven. Worshiping Jesus just feels right because it is what we were created to do! When we cry during our praise, or when we feel a burden lift off of us after prayer, these are blessings of God that come by doing his will. God starts to make ways for us in our temporal lives here on earth. When we start to live for Him and bless Him, he blesses us! He works on the desires of our heart when we commit to God. This isn’t a one-way relationship. God rewards us, even here on earth.
Spending time with Jesus helps us to understand ourselves more and the plan God has for our lives. God gives us direction, purpose, and fulfillment. We start to live in the way God designed us to live, and that is the best life, and best possible choices we could ever make. We grow into better, more rounded individuals because we become more like Jesus who is the best person to ever exist. On top of all this, we never have to worry because we have access to God 24/7 who is the ruler of life and will always look out for us and protect us. And we know that when we do his will, all things work together for our good.
So, don’t lose sight of the blessing it truly is to know and love Christ. Jesus is amazing, and loving, and will satisfy every hole in our life. Do you need a friend? He is there. Do you need a lover? He is there. You need a confidant, a comforter, a defender, a provider, a protector, a way maker? He is everything and wants to be everything for you.
Some days you will feel out of it. It may take a little longer to get into praying or reading or worship. But don’t forget your first love. One of my favorite lyrics ever written is “For the one who gave me life, nothing is a sacrifice.” Your human side may not feel like it, but your soul craves God. Sacrificing what feels good, or what you would prefer to do rather than spending time with God, can make all the difference between growing in God or falling away from Him.
This post was all about how to get out of a spiritual rut.
