I’m Stuck Spiritually
“To be honest, I’m not thriving as a Christian. I find church tedious ad am not enjoying being with other Christians. Reading the Bible has become a chore and I now seldom do this. I seldom pray, except when I’m in a difficult situation. I give in to temptations so easily”
How many Christians feel like this, it is probably the majority. Some still maintain a connection with their church, as that is an in-built habit and they have friends there but the relationship with Jesus is distant.
What can be done to help?
Remember - Old Testament
The word "remember" appears over 1,200 times throughout Scripture. One of the greatest temptations is to forget what God has done. In the Old Testament believers from forgetting who they belong to and the blessings they have received.
Moses instructs the people to commemorate the day they came out of Egypt, emphasising God's mighty hand in their liberation. They were encouraged to kept special days of remembrance so they did not forget what God had done for his people:
“Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast.” Exodus 13:3
In Deuteronomy, several verses stress the importance of remembering what God has done for his people, to remember their slavery in Egypt and God's powerful deliverance.
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” Deuteronomy 4:9-10
All that God had done for them was to be remembered:
“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:15
God knows that the main reason people drift from their walk with him is that they forget what God has done in the past. The Jews were encouraged to keep remembering the miraculous way the Lord delivered them from slavery in Egypt and cared for them during the forty years in the wilderness.
“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” Deuteronomy 8:2
The Psalms also contain verses about remembering God's miracles.
“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” Psalm 77:11-14
The Psalms repeatedly highlight the importance of hearing and passing on the teaching, parables, and praiseworthy deeds of the Lord to future generations. This will help protect them from drifting away from God and giving in to temptations.
“I will utter hidden things, things from of old - things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” Psalm 78:1-4
After Joshua had led God’s people across the river Jordan which had dried up, a memorial was erected so people would not forget God’s mercy to them. Stones were set up as a sign to remind future generations of how the Jordan River was cut off before the ark of the covenant,
“Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6-7
David recounted how the Lord had rescued him from a lion and a bear and, because of what God had done in the past, expressed confidence that the Lord will also rescue him from the Philistine, Goliath.
“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 1 Samuel 17:36-37
God’s people became arrogant and failed to listen or obey God they refused to listen or remember the miracles God had done, yet in spite of all this God did not desert them because of his forgiving, compassionate nature.
““But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.Therefore you did not desert them,” Nehemiah 9:16-17
Remember - New Testament
The New Testament considers this need for everyone remembering the facts of what God has done and especially. by remembering who Jesus is and what he did for us. This remembrance is not merely a mental exercise but is intended to anchor the faith of believers, and so allow him to be the guide for our lives. We forget him at our peril and will easily succumb to the temptations that come our way.
The institution of the Lord's Supper is one of the most direct commands from Jesus to remember him.
“Do this in remembrance of me’: Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24–25
Jesus instructed his disciples to break bread, representing his death on the cross and share the cup, the fact that he took the cup of God’s wrath for us. Christians are specifically told that they were to do it in his memory. The Apostle Paul explains that by observing this meal, Christians actively remembering his sacrifice. So we must continue to
". . . proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" 1 Corinthians 11:26
Remembering Jesus also heavily involves his resurrection, which proves his identity as the Son of God and secures the hope of eternal life for believers. Paul encourages Timothy to:
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David". 2 Timothy 2:8
This links Christ's messianic lineage given in Matthew chapter with his victory over death, which is central to the gospel message.
The early church was built on the memory of who Jesus was and what he had done. The apostles' sermons in the Book of Acts repeatedly focus on Jesus' death and resurrection as the central facts of the gospel message. The gospel accounts themselves were written based on the collected testimony and memories of eyewitnesses and those who knew them. This tradition, passed down both orally and in writing, was the foundation for apostolic teaching.
In this matter Christianity differs from every other religion. I relies on the facts about Jesus life, death and resurrection. All other religion come from the words of prophets or gurus who claim they were given insights but there is no way to corroborate what they say and none of them have an answer to our guilt and sin.
Remembering Jesus provides a moral compass for Christian living. The author of Hebrews reminds believers:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2
It is when we stop remembering who Jesus is and that we will meet him one day that we drift away from him and so become stuck spiritually.
BVP
