|
Stagnant
Christianity
What a joy to
see Christians who are vibrant and active in their Christian
living. John expressed his joy over hearing of Gaius’
faithfulness and devotion. “For I rejoiced greatly, when the
brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even
as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to
hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 3-4). Zealous
Christians seek ways to serve.
They do not have to be prompted and encouraged to do
basic Christian duties. They see the good in their brothers
and sisters in Christ. They do not moan and groan and complain
about things that really do not matter. Each day they are
growing in grace, knowledge, faith, love, joy, and many other
Christian graces. Their lives are lived in victory. They
overcome the evil one. They rest each day in the precious
promises of the heavenly Father.
Don’t we all wish that we could be the Christian
described above every day of our lives? Yet, all of us know
that there are periods in our Christian walk wherein we seem
to grow stagnant. Webster defines “stagnant” as, “1. Not
flowing in a current or stream: motionless; also: stale. 2:
Dull, inactive.” In the seasons of stagnation, the fire of
spirituality barely flickers. The duties of Christian living
seem to be humdrum and routine. Our eyes grow critical. We are
able to see the shortcomings of our brethren with laser
accuracy. We develop a “don’t care” attitude. We don’t
care if we go to worship services. We don’t care about
various works of the church. We don’t care when members of
our church family are suffering and hurting. We don’t care
whether we are needed or not. We don’t care that we could
die in our stagnant condition and be lost. Temptation to sin
increases. We yield to Satan’s enticements. Every sin can be
rationalized and justified in some manner. Deep down we long
for the faith we once possessed and practiced. Over time,
though, our hearts harden, and we refuse to put forth the
effort to be strong in the Lord.
Let’s examine this concept of stagnant
Christianity in a little more detail. There are
many causes of this malady. One reason lies in the process of
Christian growth. It is much like physical growth.
From birth until thirteen, growing is fast. Physical
changes seem to take place almost every day. Then, growth tapers off. The inches, pounds, the muscles, no
longer grow with gigantic leaps. Outward growth is slow.
Ultimately, internal growth is the key. The same is true of
our spiritual man.
We are like sponges as babes in Christ. The information we
receive is new, fun, and exciting. Over the course of a few
years, growth becomes more difficult. It is slow and
painstaking. It requires a great deal of time and effort to
see results. Paul understood this when he penned 2 timothy
2:15. The King
James Version says: “Study to shew thyself approved unto
God…” The American Standard Version states: “Give
diligence to present thyself approved unto God…” An older
Christian is going to have to “buckle down” to keep that
upward progress going. Diligence, work, effort, sweat and toil
will be the keys to success.
Continued
on Page 2
|
