5 Signs Of Drifting From God And How To Reconnect

The light bulb in our chandelier flickered off and on. As I walked over to it and gave it a soft twist, I thought how on earth do light bulbs become loose anyway? After all, they are stationary, right? The light bulb in my head flickered a few times before recalling the verse, “You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

Like the lightbulb, when we become stationary in our walk with Him, we become disconnected from the one true Light source. The source of all life, all power, all majesty, and all light. Motionless and dim, our demeanor, priorities, decisions, love for others, and response to everything “flickers” when we are not fully plugged in. Let’s discuss the 5 major signs of drifting from God.

5 Signs Of Unplugged Faith and Drifting From God

• Does God’s Word have a place in your life?

Priorities fuel pursuits. One of the best questions to answer is whether or not you have a desire to spend time with the Father. Like any relationship, a lack of communication creates distance. We will make time for what we value as important. On any given day, what we spend the most time doing or thinking about becomes our priority, intentionally or not. The truth is – in love, of course – if we put off spending time with Him yet have time to peruse Pinterest, Facebook, or binge-watch the newest Netflix series, we have placed God on the back burner of our lives. Please hear me, I’m not saying those things are inherently wrong but they should never be prioritized over God.

• Do You Minimize Or Marginalize Sin?

What we behold, we become. When we find ourselves rationalizing movies and music as simply entertainment, taking part in activities that explicitly go against God’s word or deny the severity of our actions, we have fallen into the dangerous snowball effect of minimizing sin. In Genesis 4:7, God told Cain right before he killed Abel, “But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” In this one verse, we see the doorway to sin. When we do what is wrong, the crouching sinister has a way in to rule over us. This unfortunate cycle becomes an avalanche of consequences. Sin desensitizes our God radar.

• Is The Fruit Of Your Life Bitter?

Fruit is either bitter or sweet. Woven throughout Jesus’ ministry were parables and commands, but perhaps the one that takes center stage is found in Luke 6:43, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.” A life rooted and built up in Christ is fed by His word, nourished by His living water and full of fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A soar tree rooted in the world will bear acidic fruit: hatred or disdain, sadness and sorrow, anxious worry, impatiently harsh, and the inability to control oneself. One fruit is sown in the flesh while the other deeply rooted in the heart of God. That doesn’t mean we won’t have “off-days” but a fruitful tree allows the pruning sheers of a Good Gardener to cutback those “dead” limbs.

• Is Your Mind Set On Temporal Things?

Where your treasure is, your heart is also (Matthew 6:21). Created for worship and adoration, we will find something to attach our hearts to and therefore treasure. Misplaced treasures and affections come in many forms: careers, wealth, possessions, physical fitness/appearance, unhealthy relationships, phones (Gasp!), and more. Though in Biblical times idols were more distinguishable, our modern-day “golden calfs” still demand the heart’s affection.

• Do You Fear God?

This sounds counterintuitive. Why would fear God when throughout Scripture, we are instructed not to fear? Fear of God is better described as reverent awe and wonder for the Creator of all things. When we lose our reverence for God, we lose our spiritual sight into spiritual things. Actions and patterns we would never have followed before become alluring and exceedingly harder to overcome. We choose a path of our own will, dismissing the Father’s prompting. An unteachable heart refusing to fear the Lord brings about storms of calamity and overwhelming distress (Proverbs 1), but a repentant heart set on honoring God releases a covering of protection, wisdom from His throne room, and a victory shield (Proverbs 2).

In a world fascinated with plugging into distorted outlets, how do we remain fastened to our immovable, unshakable current of Light?

6 Tips To Cultivate Your Faith And Reconnect With Christ

Once you’ve determined the signs of drifting from God and assessed your walk, you are now ready to reconnect and cultivate your walk with Christ. If you’re struggling with the importance and benefits of closely following God, Scripture outlines many promises for those who choose to seek God.

1 | Recognize The Spiritual Battle Is Real

We have a real enemy ALWAYS seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). He has studied our ways, knows our weaknesses, and waits patiently for the perfect moment to invade. Refuse to fall prey to future “blackouts” with the following key points.

2 | Examine Your Life To Determine Pitfalls

Whether you’ve been following Christ for a month or as long as you can remember, examining our lives, priorities, values, and direction is a continual area of need. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Because our hearts are tempted to follow our own paths, plans, and priorities, self-evaluation is essential. With an open journal, open heart, and open communication with the Father, address some or all of the following questions.

1. Who or what do I prioritize above God?
2. Is my schedule overextended?
3. Am I making my brief time here on earth count for eternity?
4. Do I choose to nestle into Netflix or God’s word?
5. Is there an open or “behind the scene” sin in my life?
6. Do I feel disappointed by God?
7. Have I ignored God’s prompting in any area?
8. Do I doubt God’s character in any way?
9. Am I apprehensive about spiritual things?
10. What kind of fruit is evidenced in my life (see above)?
11. Do I feel the need for prayer and find it important?
12. Am I dismissing church as optional rather than a necessity?
13. Is there someone I need to forgive?
14. Are there any areas in my life that I’m holding back from God?
15. Do I love or loathe my enemy?

3 | Confess And Repent Is The Hotline For Reconnecting With Christ

Once you’ve spent some time allowing God to sift the soil of your heart, you’re ready to uproot the weeds and move on. Understanding that nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight (Hebrews 4:13) should free us to openly confess what our omniscient Father already knows. Now, you might be wondering what’s the purpose if He already knows? While our sins were paid for on the Cross, sin continues to create a barrier between us and God. Think of sin as a static-filled phone line. Though you can vaguely hear someone on the other end, you can’t truly make out what the person is saying. Unconfessed sin prevents us from hearing the One who sent His only Son to pay for the “line”.

4 | Commit To A Plan

From the moment we wake up, busyness is competing for our attention. Staying connected to the Vine takes intentionality. When you commit to spending time with the Lord, He will establish your plans (Proverbs 16:9) and the Lord’s purposes prevail (Proverbs 19:21). Whether it’s 15 minutes in the morning or 5 minutes before bed, establish a commitment to seeking Him.

5 | Meditate And Memorize Scripture

By putting God in His rightful place, you are both nourishing and guarding your heart. Because we do not live on bread alone but every word that proceeds from God’s mouth, choosing to live on God’s word provides the spiritual nourishment needed for daily life (Matthew 4:4). His spiritual nourishment guards your heart and everything that flows from it (Proverbs 4:23). Learning how to declare His word over your situation, is key to overcoming the trials of this life.

When you hunger and thirst for His righteousness, you will be filled. – Matthew 5:6

6 | Be Spirit-Led And Pray

As children of God, we are to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). The Spirit of truth guides us in all truth and tells us things that are to come (John 16:13); helps us in our weakness, praying for us when we can’t (Romans 8:26); and produces eternal fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Prayer doesn’t have to be a lengthy composition of eloquently portrayed words. Childlike prayers from a contrite heart are the melody of heaven. If, like most of us, you have a hard time praying, be sure to check out this post on How To Set Up a Prayer Journal and 8 Tips On How To Be Still and Pray with a free workbook.