Charles Spurgeon, the nineteenth century British theologian, was wise beyond his twenty years when he challenged his congregation in going deeper with God: “Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead’s deepest sea; be lost in His immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated.”
Few of us would say we want a devotional life that we’d describe as “shallow.” Rather, we want a deep, abiding, intimate relationship with God. In pursuit of that kind of life, we believe that a passionate prayer and devotional life is important to a life of faith. But still, we often seem to be just treading water without going deeper.
Get Your Feet Wet
Many things can keep you from deepening your commitment to and intimacy with God. These things keep you in that “shallow” mode – maybe even to the point that you’ve become comfortable there. But just because you’ve grown accustomed to the shallow end doesn’t mean you can’t develop a closer, stronger relationship with God. Here are some things to keep in mind as you get started:
If you are to wade beyond the shallow end of the pool in your connection with God, you have to first honestly acknowledge where you are. Whether or not you’re ready for a deeper relationship with God, whether or not you have the time or the discipline or the accountability to re-energize your devotional life, God, in His grace, will meet you there at your humblest of beginnings. All you need is the desire.
One of the most common feelings you might experience as you’re taking stock of where you are devotionally is a hint of guilt that you’re “not where you should be,” that you should have done more or started earlier. Though guilt may be a great motivator – and God will take your fellowship even then – don’t let guilt build your devotional life out of a sense of duty. And don’t let it keep you from getting started in moving deeper. As John Piper said in his classic book Desiring God, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” So go to Him joyfully.
Take a Deep Breath
The most common reason most Christians give for staying in the shallow end of spirituality is a practical reality, but also an excuse. Simply put, all of us are overworked and overextended. We keep ourselves much too busy to go deeper into our relationship with God. Between work, church, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life, it’s easy to develop a hole where quiet time used to be.
Granted, we’re all busy; but if you want to have a deeper relationship with God, you have to step back, take a deep breath, and build some devotional discipline to your life. Imposing structure into your life isn’t very appealing, and discipline is hard to come by. The solution is simple, but extremely difficult to practice: Downsize life and make room for God.
Don’t think you have to do it overnight. Deep relationships with God take a lifetime. Start small and begin where you can, as if you were beginning an exercise program for the first time: 5 minutes at first, build some stamina; 10 minutes next, form the habit; 30 minutes…and you can’t live without it. Try scheduling time with God into your Palm Pilot, just as you do the most important dates in your calendar. Incorporate time with God into your everyday life; take a quiet-time coffee break, turn off your radio during drive time. Give up that weekly sitcom spot (it’s not one of your favorites anyway) and spend time with God. Wherever you choose to carve out time for your relationship with God, do it consistently to the point that you think you can’t live without it – because you can’t.
Use the Buddy System
Many of us, even those of us who were raised in church, haven’t had a good example of someone who modeled a deep, abiding, and growing devotional life. And when we’re left to our own devices, we don’t know where to begin our quest to know God better. If your spiritual mentor immediately comes to mind as you read this, commit to spending more time with him or her. If you’re drawing a blank, make a concerted effort to find a mentor or a partner – a person of prayer and devotion you trust, a pastor, a friend. But find someone to study the Bible with and to be accountable to, someone to pray with and for.
However, don’t let your human relationships become a higher priority in life than your relationship with God. Our human relationships often take up so much of our time and energy that we substitute them for a growing relationship with God. Those relationships to which we devote time, energy and passion thrive and grow. That act of devotion is often returned – many times instantly. But in our relationship with God, in studying the Bible and in prayer, we often don’t get the instant gratification we’ve grown used to in our human relationships.
The problem with this is that human beings are fallible creatures. If we depend on our own abilities to make and keep relationships healthy, we’ve already lost. If we deepen our relationship with God, our human relationships will deepen as well.
In the end, the only relationship that’s eternal is the one we have with God, the author and sustainer of love. All human relationships hinge on spiritual growth, individually and together. Purpose to grow toward God, and your relationships will be stronger for it.
Dive In Head-First
Face it: Many of us suffer from a case of nominal Christianity, one that’s relatively hip and, simply put, a piece of cake. We don’t exhibit any desire to move beyond the surface. Religion, though sincere, can be a fairly clinical proposition – a box you check off on an application, only if you want to.
Nominal Christianity is otherwise known as apathy or indifference. But is nominal Christianity what you really want? No? Then dive into your Christian life headfirst with new vigor. Write down the reasons you feel apathetic or indifferent toward your Christian life – and toward God. Take the simple step of asking God to reveal Himself to you in a powerful new way. Pray that prayer often, and keep your eyes open.
While not quite the same thing as apathy, the insurance mentality is just a step up. This “I pay my premium every Sunday morning so I’ve got good coverage the rest of the week” philosophy, like it’s cousin apathy, is a symptom of a larger problem. Insurance is not enough to live: Success requires growth. Observe people whose spiritual lives you admire and ask them to tell you the secrets to their success.
Watch Out for the Sharks
When it all boils down, sometimes the primary reason we remain in the shallow end of Christianity is sin, itself. The lack of desire for personal accountability or spiritual growth might be because both are in opposition to our life choices. Bitterness, anger, hatred, sexual behavior, lies…all of these sins affect us in ways we may or may not be aware of. Regardless of the sin, any of them builds walls between us and God – walls that may seem permanent and unmoveable.
Your path to intimacy with God begins with a sincere act of confession. Be honest about who you are, about the state of your life, your weaknesses, your mistakes, your sins — what you want or need to change. Keeping them bottled up to yourself only compounds the grip that sin can have over you. Confess sin honestly to God and ask for His forgiveness. He gives it freely.
Part of the Christian life is committing a lifetime to developing a deep, intimate relationship with God. And at any given time, one or more of the above keeps us from moving deeper in our commitment and love for God. But just because we’ve grown accustomed to the shallow end doesn’t mean we can’t gather up our weaknesses, inflate a pair of water wings and begin – one step at a time – a new, stronger relationship with our God.
Original article: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=150133
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