15. I have found that some of my spiritual activities have changed as my relationship with Jesus has developed.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
Are there things you do in your spiritual life that have changed in how you experience them, growing more or less enjoyable, more or less real?
Are there ways that you may have experienced a deep connection to God that no longer provide the same connection? How do you feel about this?
Do you think that there are ways that you could connect with God that you have yet to discover?
Our spiritual activities, the many things we engage in that connect us to God, will often change over time. This can especially be true for new activities that we discover and find great value or joy in doing. For example, we may find a new way of reading Scripture, perhaps sacred reading, in which we have a clear sense that Jesus is speaking to us. We may find it easy to engage in Scripture and find it very fruitful.
Over time, though, this way of reading Scripture may lose some of its vibrancy and impact us less. It can even seem that Jesus has stopped talking. The same might be true of a particular devotional we read or listen to. At first we may find it very helpful in connecting to God but over time, we may not experience the same sense of His presence. Worship music is another spiritual activity that may have great value to us for a period after which it loses some of that value. This ebb and flow in our spiritual activities should not alarm or concern us.
Often people feel guilty when their felt sense of God becomes less or their spiritual activities lose meaning. But change is natural in many areas of our lives and often leads to something good. Although some of these changes may come simply from our impulsive nature, other changes may actually be an indication of something good.
As we connect with Jesus in a new way, and as this develops our relationship with Him, the Spirit may lead us into other ways, maybe deeper, more faith filled, ways of connecting with Jesus. It is normal for the spiritual activities that help us connect with Jesus to change as our relationship with Jesus grows.
The point is that we should not immediately be concerned or alarmed when we notice a change in how we experience our spiritual activities. The issue is what to do when we experience a change in an activity. The first question we need to ask ourselves in these situations is, “What does my heart want?”
If our hearts are still longing for God, if they are growing in love for Jesus and deepening in faith, then we should not be concerned or try to “fix the problem.” Another question we can ask ourselves is “Are there new activities, ways of connecting with God, that have replaced the old ones?” If there are, then we should not feel a need to go back to the old ways.
Change is normal in any relationship and if our relationship with Jesus is active and authentic then we should not be surprised when the ways we connect with Him shift over time.