Your first reaction to this question may be, “Of course not,” but I am going to challenge your faith as God challenges mine over this question. As a believer, you know that God exists and He is in control, and you are very thankful for Him, but living on this side of heaven has its pitfalls. You and I can become distracted by the simplest of things. And before you know it, God becomes misplaced. You have to look in the rearview mirror to see Him.
Am I forgetting God?
Janice Armstrong posted on Instagram (@iamjanicearmstrong) on this very thing. “The habits I didn’t think were making my faith lukewarm…” Here is what she posted and I found it to be very relatable. One habit that has become noticeable is the forgoing of attending church on Sunday mornings and replacing it with serving during the week. While serving is essential, sitting in His presence and worshipping Him is where transformation happens. Believers are called to worship together; see Hebrews 10:25. And they are called to know the Scriptures; see 2 Timothy 2:15, 4:13.
Janice begins with social media. When you focus on watching others’ lives more than paying attention to your own life, God will take the back burner. You are called to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of your life; Galatians 5:25. Next is entertainment. Are you normalizing things that once convicted you? Have you gotten more comfortable with unbiblical movies, books, music, etc? Janice says, “What consumes you shapes your spirit.” Let Philippians 4:8 help with this.
Rushed prayers is another indicator. Do you rush your time with God, perhaps giving Him five minutes? “I have a lot to do,” you may think. Remember that prayer is where God transforms you. Prayer is where you are meeting the Living God. What a privilege and honor to be able to pray! “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Have you become comfortable? You only hang around with other Christians. It’s safe. You have stopped going out of your way to love and reach people. Read Matthew 5:14-16 and let God remind you of who you are and what you are called to do. Are you addicted to your phone? Is it the first thing you grab when you wake up in the morning? Whatever has your attention usually has your heart; see Matthew 6:21.
Have you stopped asking God what He thinks? When the opinions of others becomes greater than what God says, validation has become misconstrued. Janice says, “When people get louder than His voice, conviction fades.” (Read Galatians 1:10) You become spiritually numb when He is speaking to you. What is distracting you? Constant noise and busyness can dull your hearing and quiet the Holy Spirit within you. Meditate on John 10:27 to awaken your heart and soul.
Conviction is a hard attribute of faith that none of us like, but it’s part of God’s plan to help you become more like Jesus. He will show you where you have sinned and what you need to do to return to Him. “When you let doubt take hold, your hunger for Him fades,” according to Janice. Study Romans 12:1-4 and allow God to transform your wayward tendencies.
Do you spend more time trying to improve yourself rather than surrendering to God? Is self-focus more important than obedience to His voice? 2 Timothy 3:1-9 is a warning about this wrong mindset. And finally, does God get your leftovers? He was once your first love, but now a religious routine has taken His place. Look at Revelation 2:4 where Jesus is telling the church in Ephesus, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love Me or each other as you did at first!”
Faith is a journey that unfolds one day at a time. God walks faithfully with you as He guides you from glory to glory until He takes you home to be with Him forever. Until then, He wants you to run your race while keeping your eye on the prize which is Christ Jesus; see Philippians 3:12-21. I will end with this, God never forgets you. He never stops working on your behalf. May you keep Jesus in the driver’s seat.
Carol J German 