Do you sometimes feel like you are stuck at a certain level of spiritual growth? Does it seem like whenever you are doing your best to make progress spiritually, you see yourself going three steps backwards instead?
What about when building a better relationship with Jesus seems like the most challenging task to carry out?
Don't beat yourself up, you are not alone in this. The Lord never promised us that the race would be easy. He said that the road is narrow and difficult.
Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
No genuine Christian will say that they are always at their very best (spiritually), year in year out. No Christian is infallible. We are all feeling the pangs rising from the cost of following Christ.
Walking the narrow way is difficult. It only becomes easier with God's help. By human strength, no man would be able to follow God and follow Him with clean hands.
This isn't me saying that we are supposed to settle for an average Christian life. Average is lukewarm, and we should not plateau there. God's grace is available to help us live according to His standards for us. So we are without excuse.(Ephesians 4:7).
I know without an iota of doubt that one of the desires of every genuine Christian on this planet is to advance spiritually; to the level where God wants them to be. But that isn't always the case.
The flesh has its imperfections and weaknesses. The enemy of our souls as well do not want us to get beyond the level of rising and falling.
Since every mature Christian is a serious threat to the kingdom of darkness, the enemy fights to ensure that people do not get beyond average Christian life.
It is not that you can never get past the level of spiritual growth you are at. It is that there are many external factors exerting their influence upon a Christian's life; attempting to prevent them from having a smooth spiritual progress.
The devil is still the liar that we all know. Many times he will try to discourage us from pressing on. Sometimes he will remind you of the number of times you have failed God.
1 Peter 5:8-9 KJVBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: [9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
It is only the devil who keeps a record of the number of times a Christian has fallen, not God. You may had disappointed the Lord so many times, but that does not mean you can never impress Him anymore.
It may be true that your spiritual life has really suffered many blows from different angles. But that does not mean you can no longer become a spiritual giant!
How To Overcome Spiritual Lukewarmness
It is the will of the Lord that we progress past every barrier to spiritual growth and become the vessels He destined us to be.
Luke 9:62 KJVAnd Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
We can not do it by our own strength. If we could help ourselves there would had been no need for our Lord Jesus to give Himself as a ransom for or sins. We must admit that we need His Help to finish this race and finish strong. Therefore, we must always ask for His help.
Again, no human is infallible and no Christian remains at their very best, spiritually; year in year out. If we understood what Jesus did on the cross then we would stop condemning ourselves.
When you trip and fall or slack spiritually, rise up again, dust off and ask the Lord to help you do better. Where our strength fails, the Lord is always there to help.
We are not running this race is vain. The reward is worth everything we're going through.
Besides, time is too short for any child of God to fall and remain fallen. Rise up and press on!
1. Our Lord Jesus Christ Is Praying For You
Having been in the flesh before, He perfectly understands the frailty of every person who occupies a body. Jesus is full of mercy. He lives to make intercession for us.
Hebrews 4:15-16 KJVFor we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
John 17:15-17 KJVI pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
We need Jesus Christ to be righteous. We need Him to enable us live right, and we need Him to help us get past every hindrance to our spiritual growth.
2. Rely On The Spirit's Help
Any Christian who wants to get beyond rising and falling must make friends with the Holy Spirit and learn to draw strength from Him.
Zechariah 4:6 KJVThen he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
When we make the Holy Spirit our daily companion, though the walk is difficult, it will become easy. The power of the Holy Spirit provides the launching pad and takes us on His wings to where God wants us to be.
It is very difficult when we try to do spiritual things by our own strength, but with Him it becomes really easy. With man, it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible!
Matthew 11:28-30 KJVCome unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The infilling of the Holy Spirit equals greater grace to stand. Have a relationship with the Holy Spirit and desire to be full of Him!
Galatians 5:16 KJVThis I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Benefits Of Overcoming Lukewarmness
A genuine Christian is not supposed to be fine with having an average (lukewarm) Christian life. We have been given so many chances to get right with God and live right. We can not continue abusing them, because if we do we will regret it on the last day.
1. In Order To Make Heaven
The enemy and every other thing that hits a Christian on all sides have a common goal: to prevent one from making heaven.
Understand that nothing is worth going to hell for and everything is worth letting go in order to make Heaven.
Matthew 5:30 KJVAnd if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
If we desire to spend eternity with God, we must live the way He wants us to live. We should refuse to allow anything to stop us from achieving this goal.
The enemy does not want any Christian to make Heaven. Not even one Christian! We must constantly resist him and hold fast our ticket to Heaven untill the day we quit this body.
Peter 5:8-9 KJVBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: [9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
2. To Walk In The Fullness of God's Blessings
The fullness of God's blessings are for the obedient and totally consecrated believers. Overcoming a rising and falling Christian life is a great step towards walking in the fullness of all that the Lord has in store for us.
3. To Be Used of God to the Fullest
It is the will of the God that we rise to become His vessels of honour. No Christian is ready to be used of the Lord to the fullest while their relationship with Him is still pathetic.
How can we be used to deliver others from what we have not yet been delivered from? When we have been delivered we will be ready to be used of God to set others free.
Final Words On Overcoming Lukewarmness
We must end our striving by our human strength to please God and learn to draw from the Spirit's supply.
To hate the sin that easily besets us is for our own good. No one can overcome the sin they love. If they love it, they will keep tripping over it and falling time and again.
The enemy will always speak discouragement and failure but I assure that if you refuse to take his words, you can rise and make the kind of impact he never wants to see you make. Yes, that is his fear. Hence, all the subtle attacks.
I am trusting the Lord to use these few words that have been said here to propel someone reading this from average to a blazing Christian life!
God bless you!
The articles and dream interpretations on our blog are gotten through revelation. We don't go about stealing other people's content. If we did, this website wouldn't have survived till today. DESIST from copying or lifting any part of our content to your website, books or videos. God is against plagiarism (Jer. 23:30). All content are protected by DMCA with fast response rate. Don't say you were not warned !!