Dry

"People in Bible College and serving in ministry are supposed to tip-toe through spiritual sugar plums all day while God whispers sweet nothings in our ears."

Recently a Christian friend asked me if I ever felt "dry" in my Christian life.  I chuckled.  Spiritual dryness is a reality that hits all believers. The first time it hits can be devastating. I was in Bible College and a part-time youth pastor when one of my “desert storm” experiences hit with a vengeance. Yeah, I know, people in Bible College and serving in ministry are supposed to tip-toe through spiritual sugar plums all day while God whispers sweet nothings in our ears. But just go with me.


It didn’t matter what I tried, nothing helped. God might as well have been dead. The Bible was dry, Church was dry (frankly some Churches are just dry anyway), worship was empty, and other believers were more irritating than usual, especially the bubbly types.

I’ve read suggested solutions for overcoming a spiritual wasteland  that included, praying, reading your Bible, going to Church, and hanging out with other believers. Sounds like the Twilight Zone!!! Let me offer another perspective. 

Living by faith is more stable than living by feelings.

First, understand the purpose of dry times. Feelings aren’t the final judge on what is true or good. For example, it might feel great to slash the tires of a guy who dents our car but that doesn’t make it good. It might feel right, even exciting, to have an affair but that doesn’t make it right. Living in the spiritual desert isn’t fun but while there the need to live by feelings becomes less critical and the faith-walk gets clearer. 

When God seems dead and we don’t feel the spiritual warm fuzzies, it’s an opportunity to learn to walk by faith. Living by faith is more stable than living by feelings and God’s nearness doesn’t depend on how we feel. 

"I realize some think it’s a mark of spiritual maturity to always feel God’s nearness. Actually, it’s a mark of immaturity."

Second, talk about it with your Christian friends. I realize some think it’s a mark of spiritual maturity to always feel God’s nearness. Actually, it’s a mark of immaturity. Babies require constant awareness of mommy’s presence. First graders cry when mommy leaves them at school for the first time. Even though some may think something is wrong with you, mature believers will confirm the recurring reality of spiritual dry times. A man whom God loved dearly wrote in Psalm 13, “How long will you hide your face from me?”  Even Jesus cried out, "My God, My God why have you forsaken me."

Third and most practically, find some peace and quiet. Rapid fire living eventually deadens everyone. Getting away from responsibilities, people, activities, ear buds, texts, emails, facebook, radios, phones, movies, TV’s and other life clutter, can help bring our senses back to life. Try sleeping, walking alone, or sitting quietly in a natural environment for a day.

There is more to be said on this important topic but this post is turning into an endless desert.  I hope it helps.

Grace Freak

Dan Rockwell

Stop

I clearly remember when I started learning about the grace life and it was painful. We were studying Roman’s at Good News Bible Church. By the time we hit Romans 3 and 4 my world was falling apart. I felt like someone had yanked the carpet out from under me. My old paradigm of the Christian life was under severe attack by a fresh and unsettling idea, grace.

By the time we hit Romans 3 and 4 my world was falling apart.

For much of my life I believed that obeying was the core of the Christian life. I believed we were saved by grace through faith in Jesus but I didn’t think we lived under the same principles of faith and grace. I was a legalist. Even though I don’t want to be one, in some ways I still am a legalist because earning God’s favor is more rewarding than receiving it by faith. Working to earn God’s favor builds my ego.  It's an attitude I keep rejecting to this day.

Obeying isn’t the core of Christian living.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for obeying. But obeying isn’t the core of Christian living. Trusting Jesus is. When it started dawning on me that obeying wasn’t the core of Christian living I felt disoriented. I felt like a squirrel running on a round exercise wheels. I was running but getting nowhere. Life felt destabilized. I wanted to find something to bring stability. The transition from working for God’s favor to receiving God’s favor by faith was painful but worth it.

I can always tell when grace-life ideas hit a legalist.  They respond like I did.  They are upset, disoriented, and even angry.  When we place confidence in works/behaviors/obeying and someone explains that our confidence is misplaced, its upsetting.  I can see a sincere legalist coming from across the room. (no offense intended to any legalist readers).  Just like I did, they are scrammbling to make sense of an idea that blows us up.

Here is my advice to those struggling to embrace graceful living.  Stop!  Stop doing all the things you think Christians are supposed to do until God's grace overwhelms you.  Please note, I'm not saying go join "Christians gone wild."  I'm saying it's more important to receive and enjoy God's grace than it is to do something for God.  Actually our doing frequently blocks God's grace.  Then, once God's grace grips you again, and only then, begin doing the things Christians do.  You will have begun living the Christian life.

Grace Freak,

Dan Rockwell
http://www.graceunplugged.org/

Pastor's Confession

My heart hurts for believers grappling with sin, frailty, and failure. I am one of them. I think we all wish there was a magic pill or secret formula that makes all the bad stuff go away. If I could just click my heels three times maybe I could get home? To make matters worse, some Christians wrongly believe that overcoming sin is the norm. The “over comers” give me this not so subtle message that there is something wrong with me if I haven’t overcome deception, lusting, coveting, greed, anger, worry, hate, selfishness, vengeance, stealing, slander, gossip, bitterness, guile, pride, jealousy, dissention, envy, etc. etc. etc. … on and on … gag me with a spoon. And those aren’t the “worst” sins.

What’s worse is, I do not love God with all my heart, soul, and mind. Sometimes I don’t even think about Him. And I definitely do not, I repeat, do not love my neighbor like I love myself. That’s just too much to ask. “Who is my neighbor anyway?” Oh, and don’t forget this little gem, “do everything without grumbling.” Are you kidding? Grumbling is one of life's compensations.  Oh no, when I typed, “Are you kidding,” I think it was grumbling. Ka-ching on the sin-o-meter!!


Don’t misunderstand the intent of this post. I’m not suggesting we just give into the dark side. But I am getting something off my chest. I’m exposing the dirty little secret that’s frequently swept under the carpet. Sinning is a problem that doesn’t have a magic solution. It keeps coming back like a bad rash. Overcoming sin in my life feels like trying to catch a herd of greased pigs. Eventually catching and corralling one doesn’t help much because the rest of the herd stands around jeering at me. And to make matters worse, while I’m trying to coral the next greased oinker, the one I just caught gets away … again!

Spending time obsessing about my sins, failures, and frailties is a serious bummer and an expression of my sinfulness. Frankly, I've got something much better to think about.  So I’m turning toward grace and learning to walk by faith again today. Damn the pigs, I'm moving on.

Dan Rockwell
http://www.graceunplugged.org/

Pessimism for what it is

I just completed the Monday morning edition of Good News News and it excites me once again to think about the Good News family. Every week I hear more stories of people extending their reach and expanding their influence for grace. More success stories. More enthusism.

The pessimist in me is waiting for the hammer to fall. I’m waiting for the excitement to end. As I type this, I even wonder if the pessimist in me isn't actually hoping for the hammer to fall putting an end to this foolish excitment. And more than that, I hear a nagging voice whispering, "It won't last and you're going to crash and burn. Don't put yourself out there. Don't risk it. You'll look foolish when you fail. You better play it safe."

Play it safe. That’s it! That’s the temptation. Hedge your bets so you won't look too foolish when you fail. It’s funny how we eventually get back to self-centered, self-protective pride. And now my pessimism is seen for what it is. It's the need to love and protect myself rather than give myself wholly to Jesus.

Pessimism is safety.

For Grace,

Dan