No Coasting In the Spiritual Life

We are called to a present-tense relationship with God

The Holy Scriptures put it this way:

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.”
(Paul, in Philippians 3:12-16, The Message)

This message came to me in a dream last night as a wake-up call, first for me, then for others to whom it might apply. The message was simple: No more spiritual coasting. When it comes to seeking after God, shifting into neutral is essentially the same as slamming on the brakes and losing all momentum. Worse still, “letting things slide” in our walk with the Lord results in just that: We not only stop moving forward, but we start sliding backward. If someone asks us, “What is God doing in your life?” and the best we can reply is, “Well, there was that great mission trip I went on…in 1995. But there was that friend I led to Christ…back in high school,” then something is wrong. Sure, it can strengthen and encourage us at times to reflect on God’s past faithfulness, but we are called to live out a present-tense relationship. The Lord wants to accomplish great feats in and through our lives NOW. So to whatever degree we have been “coasting,” neglecting the disciplines of prayer, praise, time in the Word, rich fellowship, and other habits that nourish our souls and stir us to faith-filled action, let’s start fresh and shift into gear again. No more coasting.

Thank you for the reminder, Lord Jesus, that “spiritual coasting” doesn’t cut it. Thanks for awakening me to the importance of pressing into You again, listening closely, and waiting expectantly for how You would move in and through my life today. Amen.