My Stagnant Faith is My Fault
Inside: Our faith isn’t an active faith and the reason is within ourselves. God is leading us but so often we want more vivid signs and clues. Maybe we need to break some habits to hear Him more clearly.
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I’m the problem. In a host of messes, I can honestly say it starts with me.
When I asked a handful of woman a couple weeks ago what they were struggling with, I got a lot of answers. Even though they were different answers, the overarching theme was the same.
When it comes to my faith, my identity causes a crisis. I am the hindrance to my growth as a Christian.
Could we unconsciously be derailing our faith?
Why I don’t have an Active Faith
We ask God to grow our faith, make us bolder and stronger, but we become the roadblock. We want signs and signals, but we hurry past and miss God altogether.
Fear of change and risk keeps us on the sidelines, or even on the couch because we don’t want to step out in faith.
It’s safer watching from afar instead of participating, isn’t it?
What if we need to slow down and deal with ourselves before we see great growth in our lives? What if our choices every day are preventing maturation of faith?
This month I want to unpack the reasons why we cause our faith to stagnate. Could these reasons, when used in the right way, actually spur growth?
We want to let our light shine, but if our batteries are low, or if they are in backward, the light isn’t going to come out.
If we cling to the past or think the worse, we can’t rise and shine for Jesus.
If you’re like me, I want to have extraordinary faith and firm belief in all circumstances. Fear has a tight grip on me lately. I’m afraid to trust, to really believe that God has my back.
Growth might not happen until I deal with me. Share on XSometimes I need to break off the old before I can bring in the new.
Ugh! Doesn’t it sound like tough work? Painful work?
I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge. Are you?
We challenge ourselves, in order to cling to Christ more securely.
Let’s dive in and see what parts of us keep us from a tighter relationship with God. What are we doing that keeps detouring our faith?
Ready, set, go!
15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress (1 Timothy 4:15, NLT).
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless DemandsFinding I AM – Bible Study Book: How Jesus Fully Satisfies the Cry of Your HeartI Am: A 60-Day Journey to Knowing Who You Are Because of Who He IsEmbraced: 100 Devotions to Know God Is Holding You CloseWait and See: Finding Peace in God’s Pauses and PlansPresent Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of LivingThe Quest – Study Journal: An Excursion Toward Intimacy with God
Julie- such wise words today!!! For me, it’s not speaking positive thoughts or spending enough time with Jesus. I find that when I dig deep into his word and pray and seek Him, the more my faith is put into action. I just don’t know who people make it in this life without Him!!!
Shannon- so good to see you!
I don’t know how people do either, life is messy and scary. We know the God of the universe is behind us, we got the power! Knowing that can get us through some pretty hard circumstances.
Have a good weekend!
Julie
Ooo I’m excited to see what is in store for us here! It took a long time for me to figure out that I was the one hindering my growth in Christ. Oh how I wish I could’ve seen it earlier. God, I pray You would give us revelation.
Kelly- I’m my worst enemy when it comes to my faith. God prompted me to write this series, because I’m struggling in faith growth. He led me to see it’s me. Satan doesn’t have to do much work, because I am already hindering it.
Thanks for stopping!
Julie
So often the case yes! Something I regularly ask the Lord is “get me out of your way!” Looking forward to this series, Julie!
Thanks Bethany!
Have a great weekend!
Julie
This is an eye-opening statement: “GROWTH MIGHT NOT HAPPEN UNTIL I DEAL WITH ME. ” I deal with this constantly and I’m getting better, but I need to DO better. So glad to have stopped by today. Enjoy your holiday weekend, my sweet sister friend. <3
Carolina- Glad I’m not the only one dealing with it!
Have a great weekend too.
Julie
Wise words indeed sista! Love the new blog look! I am thinking about this as well. Sometimes I feel stagnate. Blessings for a beautiful weekend!
Thank you Kelsey!
Blessings to you also!
Julie
I love your theme selection. I am guilty. I look forward to your blogs this month. Speak to me.
Calvonia- thanks for stopping! I am guilty also, God led me to this series to help me especially!
Julie
Marian- so glad you stopped by! Growing is painful, isn’t it? We don’t want to do the hard work.
Julie
Julie, this is so full of great wisdom!! I continually find that when I choose to slow down and let God work on me, He never disappoints to bring growth in the stillness of our messy:)
Crystal- thank you! It’s intentional slowing down, isn’t it? I know even if its a quick breath prayer in the car while driving to and from activities, He is ready to usher me into His arms.
We have an awesome God!
Julie
I think our faith stagnates when we don’t go through trials. Trials grow our faith like nothing else does.
Susan- I still don’t like trials even though I know they are needed:)
Man oh man this is so true! God doesn’t hold us back or stop us from spiritual growth. We get in our own way. I look forward to all you have to share with us!
Thank you, Melissa!
I was telling my kids just this morning how important it is to listen for God – read, pray, be open to how He is talking to us. But in order to do that we have to take the time to listen.
Kristi- I’m so bad about the listening part!
Such a tough truth, but an important one! We can’t grow if we are unwilling to change.
Heather- yes, it is a tough truth!
We all know what stagnant water does…it makes us sick! This is exactly why we need the Living Water of Christ to flow continually through us! I always say a rut is a grave with both ends open. When we tap into the power of who Jesus says we are there is no stopping us in what we can do because we have unlimited potential. I’m looking forward to this series 🙂
Sheila- thank you for sharing these words of wisdom!
We do get in our own way so often. Not trusting, especially!
Aryn- yes, we do get in the way.
We do get in the way of what God wants to do don’t we. The beauty of having a relationship with Him is that He is so incredibly patient with us and keeps at us until we bend. For that I am grateful. Thanks for sharing. – Amy
http://stylingrannymama.com/
Amy- thank goodness He is patient:)
Powerful! Yes if we give ourselves wholly to the things that matter then we progress else we stay stagnant.
Ann- thank you! It’s about surrendering all to Him!
Read it again and was really blessed. Loved the verse in 1 Timothy.
Also, if we sink in the past we can rise up.
Ann- thank you <3
It’s so easy to get sidetracked by the world and even by good and godly pursuits, we forget the true measure of our faith. Then we get in our own way. We forget the sacrifice that was made for us and that the work is already finished.
Dana- Yes, thank you for sharing this!
Fear does hold us back from stepping out in faith, overcoming fear has been one of the great challenges of my faith walk.
Mary- me too! Sounds like you’re overcoming it though as you journey around the world!
Julie, it’s such a good idea to examine ourselves and see where what parts of our thoughts and lives might be keeping us from God.
Just recently I’ve had to make a huge leap of faith in moving churches – it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, because we loved the church we were at – it was the church we had dreamed of for many years – but we felt God moving us on. Redeploying us. Since we’ve made the move it feels as though something inside has come alive again and I am renewed in hope and excitement!
Sometimes it’s hard to trust that God really wants the best for us, or that we’ve heard from him accurately, but as we keep walking by faith he fills in the gaps to overflowing!
I remember reading a question in Loura Story’s “When God doesn’t Fix It” that made this real… “What if God is more concerned with our spiritual growth than our physical comfort?” We may say we want to grow… but it is harder than we expect.