Stagnation
Anybody who ever attempted potty training a child will understand the frustration Josh experienced recently when we tried to potty train him without much success, largely due to our inconsistency. More painful is the stagnation in his growth, this brings about, at least for a while (I know, I know: by the time he’ll go to school, he’ll have all his teeth, talk, walk and … do all the other things children his age do).
This week I read an article by Thom Rainer entitled Three Root Causes of Stalled Spiritual Transformation, which focused my mind on our own spiritual growth. The author makes the point that in life, individual believers as well as churches stagnate \ stall in their growth and looks into the situation in Corinth for solutions. Here are a couple of excerpts which I thought are interesting for my own life but, possibly, for the life of a church as well:
Many of us live, work, and worship in cities similar to Corinth. Sadly, the moral code of the city became the moral code for many of the Corinthian believers—and the same happens in our day the outcome being outlined in 1 Cor. 3:1-3. Our job is to remember the war within us (Rom 8:8-9), he argues. Three possible causes are worth noticing:
1. Transformation Stalls Without Spiritual Exercise – Time in God’s Word is a necessity for our spiritual exercise. Church members must not fall into the trap of thinking that group study (Sabbath School) is enough. I think everyone should be involved in a small group Bible study and be exposed to strong Biblical preaching, but leaving out their personal time with the Scriptures is a quick path to stalling their spiritual transformation. Exercise begins with prayer (Phil. 4:6). Remaining active in sharing the Gospel is also important in staving off the stall that often occurs. I believe that losing the sense of what the gospel can do in the lives of others has a powerful effect in our lives. The work of evangelism has the side effect of reinforcing its own power in the life of the one who does the sharing. Serving others keeps us on track as a spiritual exercise leading people toward transformation. Service lifts our eyes from personal needs to those who are needy right around us or in a different culture.
2. Transformation Stalls Amidst Envy And Strife – Obsession over the lives of others brought about by envy and strife distracts from a focus upon the life of Christ. Envy (we want someone else’s life more than we want to be like Christ) and jealousy (we want what others have more than we want Christ Himself) are extreme forms of selfishness.
3. Transformation Stalls When We Live Like The World – One of the greatest condemnations that can come into the life of a Christian is that he/she has settled for an ordinary life. In C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory, he wrote: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (Lewis, C.S., The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 26)
He concludes the article with this remark: What if each morning, your church members prayed something like this: “Lord, I choose to be sold out to you today. Let me cross paths with those who need to see how your power transforms a life. Let me put others ahead of myself. Rejecting the feebleness of this world, help me to live like Christ.” Churches and individuals experiencing transformation all went through a cathartic moment in life. At some point in time, they looked around and decided that more was possible. Some came to this conclusion because of negative circumstances and others because of a great victory, but the principle was clear: a decision must be made.
May we choose actively today not to be satisfied with our situation in Christ, but strive for growth, painful as it may sometimes be!
May we remember the basic spiritual disciplines upon which we are dependent in our Christian life and practice them faithfully!
May Jesus be the beginning and end of every day!
Love,
M
I think the thing that jumped out at me on the first reading was the analogy to exercise.
Athletes experience stagnation (aka ‘plateau’) in their fitness gains over time – it’s commonly spoken of in bodybuilding/weightlifting circles. How much of a problem this is relates to how well they know their bodies, how quickly they can recognize that they are in a plateau, and whether the steps they take to overcome the stagnant period are effective. It usually requires a shift in the training regime – something as minor adopting a different position for, or modifying the duration of, a particular exercise (or set of exercises).
Stagnation isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, as it can provide a period of respite and reflection. Again, it depends on whether an individual can recognize where they are and what to do about it.
Most people cannot function at breakneck speed and therefore periods of rest, or stagnation, can be healthy, provided you can move on when the time is right.
Spiritually, prayer is essential. Being honest with God about where you think you are in life is imperative, but more importantly, using the Spirit to show us what to pray for and how to act humbly upon the replies we receive (which requires attentive listening). God knows when we need to stop and to start, which direction to go in, and when to ‘stand still and see the salvation of the Lord’. Listening to His still, small voice for five minutes can be so very effective in keeping us ‘on the road’, knowing when to hold off the reins and slow down, and also if and when to change direction.
I agree that Sabbath School is not enough, and for some, our study guides have effectively replaced the Bible. For others, the Bible only gets to see the light of day when we want to prove a point or support a long-cherished opinion. The Bible is so much more than what many of us have made it, and I get a sense that many believers have completely misunderstood and underestimated God.