Reasons for Spiritual Drift
After COVID restrictions loosened up and people have emerged from those restrictions, how would you measure your spiritual temperature? It’s been said, absence makes the heart grow founder. Is that true in your life? It may be true for some, but not for all. When it comes to our spiritual and emotional lives, absence or distance in our relationships can contribute to spiritual drift. And when I say drift I don’t just mean that we grow apart, but that we drift into sinful practices or unhealthy emotional states, like discouragement and depression.
It can happen to anyone. We are all prone to wander. None of us, no matter how long we’ve been saved or how much we know the bible, is immune from spiritual drift or exempt from the need to be in life giving relationships to prevent spiritual drift. We are going to take a look in 1 Kings 19 at a time in the life of the great prophet Elijah, who prophesied during a time is Israel’s history where the nation as a whole had drifted into idolatry. God used Elijah to oppose a wicked King named Ahab & his wife Jezebel and to bring revival to the land. But, as we will see, there was a season in his life where Elijah became discouraged and drifted into isolation and despair. We are going to examine what contributed to Elijah’s spiritual drift and how God worked to bring him back.
1. Discouragement
What led Elijah, who was a spiritual giant, who was mightily used of God, who had just hours before courageously took out 450 false prophets of Baal, to drift into a place of such despair that he asked God to take away his life? Notice that after hearing about the threats of Jezebel upon his life, we read in verse 3, “Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life…” (1 Kings 19:3).
What led to Elijah’s drift? The first thing we see is that because of fear he became discouraged. I’m using the word discouraged because it wasn’t just that he was afraid, but that he lost the courage that he had previously shown. What caused Elijah to lose courage? Elijah lost courage because he temporally lost sight of God. In addition, it appears from his laments to God that he was disappointed because of unmet expectations. In verse 4 he laments, “…for I am no better than my fathers.” Apparently the outcome he was expecting after a great victory did not pan out. What were his expectations? It appears that he was expecting for the nation to turn back to God, but instead he felt like not only Jezebel, but the world was turning against him.
How many of you know that when you are discouraged because of fear or disappointment with people, you can lose the drive to keep moving forward? In fact, you may, like Elijah want to retreat. You know, one of the things we appreciate about first responders is that when there’s danger they don’t run away from it, they run to it. On 911 when the twin towers were hit the firefighters were going up the stairs where the danger was, while others where coming down the stairs. Where does that courage come from? Among others things, it comes from their training and sense of duty. Similarly, there should be an otherworldly way that God’s people respond to the crises in our world today. Hear me clearly. I’m not saying that we should be careless or that we should not be cautious. However, faith in the eternal hope that we have in Christ, not fear, should be driving us.
In a world in crisis, have we been looking in faith to shine the light of Christ or have we retreated into a cave of discouragement, disappointment, or complacency? This question leads us to a second reason for Elijah’s spiritual drift.
2. Distance
In addition to discouragement, the fact that Elijah distanced himself from people did not help. In verse 3 we read that when Elijah became afraid and ran for his life that he left his servant behind in Beersheba. From there he traveled another day’s journey into the wilderness. Alone in that isolated wilderness, Elijah went from being greatly discouraged to deeply depressed. Beginning in verse 4 we read: “But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 1 King 19:1-4
How many of you when you’ve been discouraged, disappointed, or let down in some way have distanced yourself or withdrawn yourself from people? Elijah in his discouragement withdrew from everyone including his trusted servant. He just wanted to be left alone. There’s a place for healthy solitude. But there’s a difference between solitude and isolation. Solitude is a place we go to for replenishment and rest in the Lord. Isolation is what a discouraged heart craves to soak and sour in self-pity. A discouraged heart will crave isolation and isolation will feed depression. It’s a very unhealthy and vicious cycle to be in. As much as we sometimes just want to be left alone, often that’s the last thing we need. We need relationships, even the hard ones. Being alone and isolated didn’t improve Elijah’s depressed mood, but instead made it much worse.
3. Depletion
Thirdly, it also appears that physical and emotional depletion could have contributed to Elijah’s spiritual drift into discouragement and despondency. "Fatigue Makes Cowards of Us All.” -General George Patton. When I was fighting cancer I had a hard time sleeping. I think the chemo was contributing to it, which made it hard for me to focus. Not being able to reign in my thoughts made it harder for me to sleep. Lack of sleep and rest wasn't helping my mood during the day. Sometimes mood affects sleep and lack of sleep contributes to a downcast mood. This is another difficult place to be. Before plopping down under a broom tree, Elijah had been involved in intense conflicts. Furthermore, he had traveled on foot for miles and miles into the wilderness. Physical and emotional depletion no doubt contributed to Elijah's despondency.
Discouragement, detachment and depletion were all factors that contributed to Elijah’s spiritual drift. Remember that depression craves isolation and isolation feeds depression. Run to the Father, not away from him.
Where are you today? Are you staying close to God and others who know God or are you drifting away? You are either drawing close or drifting away.
In Elijah’s case, God used an Angel to strengthen him and get him back on course to reconnecting with God and others. God’s primary instruments today are Spirit-filled believers. Who in your life can use some encouragement today? Reach out and touch someone with the love of Jesus. Next week we will further explore how the Lord brought Elijah out of his cave of despondency.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
It can happen to anyone. We are all prone to wander. None of us, no matter how long we’ve been saved or how much we know the bible, is immune from spiritual drift or exempt from the need to be in life giving relationships to prevent spiritual drift. We are going to take a look in 1 Kings 19 at a time in the life of the great prophet Elijah, who prophesied during a time is Israel’s history where the nation as a whole had drifted into idolatry. God used Elijah to oppose a wicked King named Ahab & his wife Jezebel and to bring revival to the land. But, as we will see, there was a season in his life where Elijah became discouraged and drifted into isolation and despair. We are going to examine what contributed to Elijah’s spiritual drift and how God worked to bring him back.
1. Discouragement
What led Elijah, who was a spiritual giant, who was mightily used of God, who had just hours before courageously took out 450 false prophets of Baal, to drift into a place of such despair that he asked God to take away his life? Notice that after hearing about the threats of Jezebel upon his life, we read in verse 3, “Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life…” (1 Kings 19:3).
What led to Elijah’s drift? The first thing we see is that because of fear he became discouraged. I’m using the word discouraged because it wasn’t just that he was afraid, but that he lost the courage that he had previously shown. What caused Elijah to lose courage? Elijah lost courage because he temporally lost sight of God. In addition, it appears from his laments to God that he was disappointed because of unmet expectations. In verse 4 he laments, “…for I am no better than my fathers.” Apparently the outcome he was expecting after a great victory did not pan out. What were his expectations? It appears that he was expecting for the nation to turn back to God, but instead he felt like not only Jezebel, but the world was turning against him.
How many of you know that when you are discouraged because of fear or disappointment with people, you can lose the drive to keep moving forward? In fact, you may, like Elijah want to retreat. You know, one of the things we appreciate about first responders is that when there’s danger they don’t run away from it, they run to it. On 911 when the twin towers were hit the firefighters were going up the stairs where the danger was, while others where coming down the stairs. Where does that courage come from? Among others things, it comes from their training and sense of duty. Similarly, there should be an otherworldly way that God’s people respond to the crises in our world today. Hear me clearly. I’m not saying that we should be careless or that we should not be cautious. However, faith in the eternal hope that we have in Christ, not fear, should be driving us.
In a world in crisis, have we been looking in faith to shine the light of Christ or have we retreated into a cave of discouragement, disappointment, or complacency? This question leads us to a second reason for Elijah’s spiritual drift.
2. Distance
In addition to discouragement, the fact that Elijah distanced himself from people did not help. In verse 3 we read that when Elijah became afraid and ran for his life that he left his servant behind in Beersheba. From there he traveled another day’s journey into the wilderness. Alone in that isolated wilderness, Elijah went from being greatly discouraged to deeply depressed. Beginning in verse 4 we read: “But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 1 King 19:1-4
How many of you when you’ve been discouraged, disappointed, or let down in some way have distanced yourself or withdrawn yourself from people? Elijah in his discouragement withdrew from everyone including his trusted servant. He just wanted to be left alone. There’s a place for healthy solitude. But there’s a difference between solitude and isolation. Solitude is a place we go to for replenishment and rest in the Lord. Isolation is what a discouraged heart craves to soak and sour in self-pity. A discouraged heart will crave isolation and isolation will feed depression. It’s a very unhealthy and vicious cycle to be in. As much as we sometimes just want to be left alone, often that’s the last thing we need. We need relationships, even the hard ones. Being alone and isolated didn’t improve Elijah’s depressed mood, but instead made it much worse.
3. Depletion
Thirdly, it also appears that physical and emotional depletion could have contributed to Elijah’s spiritual drift into discouragement and despondency. "Fatigue Makes Cowards of Us All.” -General George Patton. When I was fighting cancer I had a hard time sleeping. I think the chemo was contributing to it, which made it hard for me to focus. Not being able to reign in my thoughts made it harder for me to sleep. Lack of sleep and rest wasn't helping my mood during the day. Sometimes mood affects sleep and lack of sleep contributes to a downcast mood. This is another difficult place to be. Before plopping down under a broom tree, Elijah had been involved in intense conflicts. Furthermore, he had traveled on foot for miles and miles into the wilderness. Physical and emotional depletion no doubt contributed to Elijah's despondency.
Discouragement, detachment and depletion were all factors that contributed to Elijah’s spiritual drift. Remember that depression craves isolation and isolation feeds depression. Run to the Father, not away from him.
Where are you today? Are you staying close to God and others who know God or are you drifting away? You are either drawing close or drifting away.
In Elijah’s case, God used an Angel to strengthen him and get him back on course to reconnecting with God and others. God’s primary instruments today are Spirit-filled believers. Who in your life can use some encouragement today? Reach out and touch someone with the love of Jesus. Next week we will further explore how the Lord brought Elijah out of his cave of despondency.
In your service,
Pastor Marco