If you´ve ever been to church camp, to a Promise Keeper´s conference (or the like), or on a short term missions trip, then you know what a ¨spiritual high¨is. Whether it´s a couple days or 2 weeks, whatever it is gets your emotions going and sets you aflame for God.
There are numerous times that I have left a camp or conference saying, ¨this time, the high will never end! From here on out, I will be hungry for the word, I will be in constant communion with God¨. Only to find myself a week or so later wallowing in my same old sins and declaring that I´m in a spiritual desert.
Often, I become frustrated with the spiritual rollercoaster. Euphoric high spots are followed by doldrums, or at worst, situations like the one I went through in January where I felt like the Lord wasn´t even there at all. He will seem so far away, then a cetain worship song, scripture, or best-selling Christian book will tug at my heart and I´ll feel close to Him again.
I used to base my relationship with the Lord on that rollercoaster. On the high points, all was well. On the low ones, I was struggling. I used my feelings as a thermometer.
The problem is, that thermometer is flawed. Human feelings and emotions are fickle; they change with the wind.
¨For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,¨ declares the Lord. ¨As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts¨ -Isaiah 55:8-9
God is unchanging, His love is unconditional. He tells us that our thoughts and feelings are futile (Psalm 94:11) and He calls us to leave behind the ways of man and to pursue the ways of His kingdom.
¨For God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end.¨ -Psalm 48:15
¨Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.¨ -Hebrews 13:5
¨The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.¨ -Psalm 18:1-2
We will go through many seasons in our lives, but regardless of what we are feeling, our God is a CONSTANT God, and our relationship with Him should mirror that. He doesn´t come in and out of our lives, He is always there. That is a tough concept for our finite human minds to comprehend, but we must keep that in mind when our feelings plummet; when we feel the ¨desert¨. Take heart, you do not have to spend the remainder of your life on an un-ending spiritual rollercoaster. Don´t base His proximity on a thermometer of feelings. Rather, be steadfast…
PRESS ON.
