If you are a Christian, you have likely experienced at least one spiritual high in your life. If you’ve been a believer for any length of time, you’ve no doubt gone through several, or even many, spiritual highs.
Bible camp, Christian concerts or conferences, mission trips–there are certain times and environments that tend to cultivate an atmosphere of spiritual transformation. You and the people around you feel deeply connected to the Lord and each other. You learn new things about God and yourself. Your faith grows exponentially.
If this image is familiar to you, then you’ve likely also experienced the disillusionment and discouragement when, after you are removed from the environment, the spiritual high eventually ends.
Now, I don’t put much stock in emotion. Never have. But I’m learning, and World Race training camp played a big part in this, that emotion can be used by God as a tool for his glory.
I’ve always been suspicious of spiritual highs. In fact, at Bible camp and church retreats, I often tried to distance myself from the experiences and emotions of those around me. I had seen people profess changed lives at these events, only to go home and continue living as they had before. I didn’t want to participate in the falsehood of fabricated spirituality and emotion.
As I’ve gotten older, I have realized that most of the people who experience a spiritual high at an event like this are not faking it. However, as they return to a home where everything else but them is unchanged, it is difficult for new and fragile growth to prosper. It’s not that they aren’t different, it’s that the differences don’t last. So my question is, what can we do to make a spiritual high last? How can we stay true to the rapid growth in faith that we experience during these times?
Wouldn’t it be amazing, life-changing even, if you could figure out how to make that spiritual high last a lifetime? To not only know that the Lord loves you, but to really feel close to him? I don’t know about you, but I want to live there–in radical obedience to a God who deeply loves and knows me. This doesn’t mean you’ll never have difficult times in your relationship with the Lord, but it does mean that those times will be the exception, not the rule. Call me crazy, but I think that such a life is possible, that a spiritual high can last a lifetime.
If you think about it, the only reason the term “spiritual high” exists is because of the seemingly inevitable spiritual low that follows. What if we could remove that period of backsliding after a spiritually-growing experience?
I have a theory that, if you first look at the elements of an environment where spiritual highs thrive, and then transfer those elements to our daily lives, we can transfer the spiritual high as well.
A note of caution: please don’t consider this a list of religious duties that will help you feel better about your standing with God. It isn’t intended for that purpose at all. This list is for Christ-followers who know their eternal future is secure and want to live every day of this life fervently pursuing the Lord. It’s not a list of do’s and don’ts; it’s suggestions for becoming more spiritually healthy, for growing in your relationship with God.
Let’s take a look:
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Worship – have you ever been to a Christian camp or conference that didn’t have a worship set? There’s a reason for that. Whether organized or spontaneous, bringing a joyful noise to the Lord helps humble us and quiet our hearts and minds. It’s a way of expressing gratitude to him and acknowledging his place on the throne of our lives. Worship often takes the form of music, but can also look like a dance, kneeling before the Lord, raising your hands to him, or walking through his creation. There is no wrong way to worship as long as you do what the Spirit tells you to do. Corporate worship, family worship, solo worship–all have unique benefits and are worth devoting time to.
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Community – I don’t think the majority of believers live in missional community. Different than a friend group, community is intentionally building authentic relationships, keeping each other accountable, sharing burdens and joys, taking care of each other, learning and growing alongside each other, and reciprocating vulnerability, all with the goal of kingdom growth. After returning home from a faith-based retreat, don’t isolate yourself or let your only friendships be with nonbelieving co-workers. This might be the hardest element in this list, but living in community is critical to a growing faith. If you don’t want to be stagnant or risk being misled, you need to have community.
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Biblical learning – a huge way to learn more about the Lord is to consistently spend time reading and studying the Bible. Other secondary sources can be helpful too, like listening to sermons or podcasts and reading books about spiritual topics. We should be desperately wanting to grow in knowledge of the God who made us, died for us, and lives in us.
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Sabbath – take time to rest in the Lord. This is different than taking a nap or watching a movie. It’s not that those things shouldn’t be allowed on the Sabbath, but Sabbath rest is an intentional, lengthy time when you draw near to God and listen for him. It’s an important practice in the Christian life that is too often ignored.
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Service – we usually think of service as a formal role, whether it’s the full-time job of a pastor or a volunteer position like a Bible study leader. However, service in the life of a Christian needs to move beyond a role. We can’t afford to compartmentalize service, delegating it to an area of our lives separate from the rest. Missional living means being aware always of any opportunity to make our world more like heaven, whether it’s serving your brothers and sisters, seeking the lost, or cultivating and using your spiritual gifts. Where should you be serving others? In church and out of church, at work, at home, on vacation, while grocery shopping, at family reunions, and during your commute. Consider scheduling extra time in your day to devote to service. Often we are blind to the needs of those around us simply because we are too busy to notice them.
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Mentorship – a mentor is a spiritual elder, someone who has already gone through what you are going through and can speak wisdom into your life. Whether you need encouragement or conviction, they’re going to give it to you. None of us are too spiritually mature to need a mentor.
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Prayer – we have this unbelievable opportunity to communicate with the God of the universe anytime and anywhere through the Holy Spirit living inside of us because of what Jesus did on the cross. Does that not blow your mind?! Now, how often do you take advantage of that opportunity? Once or twice a day? At mealtimes and before bed? The power of prayer aside, the act of praying in itself grows our relationship with the Lord. It’s critical that we learn how to listen in our prayer. I believe that prayer is the most important element on this list.
Coming back from training camp, I don’t want to lose this spiritual high. I also know that my faith will grow even more during the World Race. 11 months of sole dedication to working on these elements will produce a spiritual high unlike I’ve ever felt. There is great potential for backsliding into destructive habits if I’m not intentional about the life I lead when I return home.
Maybe this all is obvious to you. Even so, I encourage you to take a close look at this list and identify any elements that are lacking in your daily life. Pick one to work on this week, and let me know if my theory is correct. Remember though, it’s not about checking things off a list. These elements are ones I have identified through experience; when they are present in my daily life, I feel close to the Lord. When they are not, I do not. You have to spend time with someone in order to grow close to them. If you are close to the Lord, your heart aligns with his.
Recklessly love and be loved,
Em
