You are not backsliding…but you don’t feel as if you are moving forward in God. You feel like your heart is stuck in neutral. You can rev up your “spiritual engine” only to feel like you just made a lot of noise but no progress. You love God…but can’t seem to find the right gear to feel movement in your heart.
My opinion is that neutral is not a bad place that the Lord looks with disappointment over. Though others may disagree. They will say you MUST always be on fire. You MUST always be passionate. You MUST always be ministering. You MUST always walk in perfect love. You must NEVER get discouraged. You MUST always be full of joy. You MUST always be in overdrive!
I have felt this same way many times…that if I am not 100% moving forward in EVERY aspect of the Kingdom of God, something must be wrong with me. One day I feel full of joy…while at the same time my love walk is suffering. The next day, I am full of love and something happens to try to steal my joy. One day I am weeping over the lost and the next day I want to run someone off the road (not really but you get the picture!).
It’s in these “neutral” places that I am reminded God has more than enough power, grace, love and mercy to make my heart come alive in the areas that I am lacking in. If you know anything about a manual transmission, you don’t shift from 1st to 4th gear and forget all about 2nd and 3rd. It takes time to get there. It’s a process. Same with your heart. Wherever you feel that you are stuck in neutral…Talk to Jesus! Ask for forgiveness if needed but talk to Him about your heart. Whatever area that you are “stuck” in, let all the worry and stress of life go, throw up your hands and say. MORE love! MORE joy! MORE peace! MORE glory! Or whatever else you need…and you will literally feel your heart shift into a different gear and find yourself praising and thanking Him!
You are His Beloved and you are abundantly loved today!