Spiritual Highs and Lows #3

How do you get out of a spiritual low? There’s the right way and the wrong way. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that there’s God’s way and our way.

Americans have a saying: “Pick yourself up by your bootstraps.” It’s a fancy way of saying, “Try a little harder.” The premise is that you can do it yourself if you just put more effort into it.

There’s just one small problem. Trying harder doesn’t work. It’s like trying to get your car out when it’s stuck in the mud or snow. The harder you try the deeper the rut. Trying harder actually makes things worse.

Think about it. Did you receive salvation because you tried hard to make it happen? Of course not! You can’t work your way into heaven. The same thing applies to getting out of a time of spiritual dryness. You can’t work your way out of it.

There’s only one way to reverse course. Look to God. He alone has the power to motivate us to change direction and to empower us to follow through.

It starts with confession of sins. Confession is nothing more than agreeing with God about our wrongdoings. Ask for forgiveness, accept it by faith, and press on.

The next step is to ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. “Filling you” isn’t like filling up your car with more gasoline. When you accepted Christ the Holy Spirit came to reside within you. You have all of the Spirit; it’s impossible to receive more of Him. Instead, “”filling you” means yielding control of your life – every area of your life – to the control of the Holy Spirit. He will do a much better job of turning things around than you ever could through your own efforts.

Finally, start reading the Bible again. The Word of God is powerful. It breathes life into your weary soul. A great place to start is by reading the Psalms. It’s filled with emotion and packed with life-changing truths.

You don’t have to remain in the quagmire. But you can’t get out on your own. It’s like being trapped in quicksand. Someone else must help you get out. That Someone is Jesus Christ.