Take Your Faith Out of Cruise Control
When I graduated college however many years ago, my spiritual life was set. At that point, I had been a Christian for about six years, so naturally, I had pretty much everything figured out. The four years of higher learning provided me opportunities to study the bible, fellowship with believers, and nurture my understanding of what it meant to live a Christian life. I had this whole Christian thing down.
Or so I thought.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for life outside of my carefree, Christian-tinted collegiate bubble. I returned home without the daily surrounding of Christian brotherhood. Although I am still best friends with two of them years later, it was a big shift when they were no longer down the hall or waiting for me in the dining hall every day. What’s more, I had no home church. I found myself in a precarious position.
Regretfully, my response was to attend a megachurch and count podcasts as all the spiritual nourishment I needed. That’s not intended as a slight to megachurches, but my introverted personality was never going to connect in a crowd of several thousand, especially given my aforementioned arrogance. I attended to check “church” of my list and learn a few new songs. The podcasts meant my commute to and from work were sanctified. I still clung to the idea that I pretty much had everything figured out.
HITTING CRUISE CONTROL
Again, it wasn’t that the megachurch and Christian podcasts were a bad thing. The underlying problem was I set my faith on cruise control. I pointed the car in the right direction, found the interstate, got up to speed, and hit cruise, enjoying the view with my legs stretched out and one hand barely resting on the steering wheel. I assumed I reached the point in my spiritual journey where passive attention was all that was needed.
Hitting a plateau in your faith isn’t the same as doubting your faith or walking away from the faith altogether. When we doubt, we question God, his promises, or the foundation of our beliefs. When someone walks away from the faith, it’s completely turning their back on what was once believed. Cruise control is different—it’s taking a passive approach to spiritual growth and becoming apathetic to sanctification.
NON-MOVING VIOLATION
Paul in his first letter to the erring church in Corinth reminds them, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it” (1 Cor. 3:2a). When my son was a baby, we held a bottle to his mouth and he drank. He didn’t have teeth to eat food, let alone the fine motor skills necessary to scoop it up on a spoon and deliver it to his own mouth. He couldn’t do much, so we didn’t expect much.
But Paul finishes this sentence by admonishing, “And even now you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh” (1 Cor. 3:2b, 3a). Now at 18 months, my son has both teeth and the ability to handle miniature silverware. He eats pretty much everything my wife, his sister, and I eat, doing so with relatively age-appropriate table manners. So when he returns to his younger methods of grabbing handfuls of peas and applesauce with his left hand while his right holds a spoon, he is gently admonished.
My son can do better, so I expect him to do better. Paul wrote this letter between two and four years after first ministering in Corinth. He knew they could do better, so he expected better. The believers in Corinth should not have been returning to their old follies, but growing in new ways.
When we take passive and apathetic approaches to our spiritual growth, we are living contrary to scripture’s teachings. Time and again the bible confronts us with action words. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (Jas. 4:10). “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). This list could go on and on.
The Christian faith should compel us into action both for personal spiritual growth and to serve our communities. Christians lives are active lives, not passive lives. Studying scripture, praying, visiting shut-ins, welcoming refugees, caring for orphans, and preaching the gospel are all active steps in the Christian life.
GETTING UP TO SPEED (OR, JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL)
I know what you’re thinking—not another how-to list. But when I realized my faith has been resting on cruise control, these are the things that helped me put my foot back on the gas.
Prayer. As with any struggle we have, the best way to address it is to bring it before the Lord. If repentance is needed, perhaps for laziness or failing to live up to God’s standards, confess that. Our God is faithful to forgive. Ask God to show you ways to jump-start your faith journey. Ask for the Holy Spirit to set your faith on fire again.
Community. We cannot do this faith thing individually. We need to be invested in a local church. If church is showing up on Sundays and speaking with as few people as humanly possible and avoiding any more interaction during the week, that’s a cruise control faith. Like I said, I’m introverted. I get it. But being introverted does not excuse the need for Christian community. Volunteer for church events and outreaches. Attend a bible study and/or small group. Make connections with your church community that go beyond the Sunday service.
Accountability. As an extension of that community, find another person or two to hold you accountable. Without accountability, it will be far too easy to slip back into old habits and push that little button on the steering wheel again. We never outgrow accountability. Just recently I asked a brother from church to hold me accountable for leading my family in devotions. I was being inconsistent and lazy with it, despite recognizing its importance. Knowing he will ask about it and lovingly correct me if need be reminds me to actively lead my family in study, prayer, and worship.
Favorite Scripture. My daily bible reading in 2019 was going pretty well. Early in the summer, I decided to read Ezekiel on my own early every morning. Then there was a giant wheel with eyes. Right there in the first chapter. And shortly after, I started struggling through this important book, and I slowly began to skip my morning reading altogether. As the summer waned, I knew I was growing lazy about reading my bible so I went back to two books that have always captivated me: Luke and Acts. For me, Luke represents my own history. He was a gentile, and I grew up in an irreligious home. Luke and I have always just clicked. For you, maybe it’s Romans. Or John. Or Psalms. Or maybe Ezekiel! The point is there is probably a book of the bible that is like an old friend who can remind you of what you love about studying scripture. Go turn to that old friend again.
REFOCUS YOUR FAITH
If any of this cruise control faith stuff describes you, you’re not alone and you’re not an apostate. However, it’s not a good place to stay.
Put a foot back on the pedal, focus your eyes back on the road, and return to the active faith that enriches our spiritual growth.
Tony Beard is a student affairs professional who has worked in the college setting for the past decade. He holds an MA in Counseling in Higher Education from the University of Delaware and is currently the staff advisor for his college’s Christian Student Fellowship. Tony is married to Angela, has two children, and is a member of Mount Calvary Church in Elizabethtown, PA. He can be followed on Twitter @TonyBeard.