Do you ever feel like you're just going through the motions with work? Do you feel as though you know your role inside out and you don't even need to actively engage your brain to complete the tasks required of you? Well, you're not the only one.
This is a common experience among office workers around the world. And it's not just limited to the confines of a working life; it can also characterise our spiritual life.
If there's one area in our life where we don't want to coast, it's our spiritual life. But the problem with coasting is that it can creep up on us and before we know it we've drifted so far away from the key principles of our faith, despite our routine action that gives off the impression that we're devoted.
If we only act out of obligation and never out of inspiration, we risk becoming Christians who only coast along through our faith journey. Faith is nothing without works. But we need to be wary that we don't end up viewing our spiritual life like a to-do list – mindlessly doing the right things just to check boxes.
Here are three ways to avoid coasting along:
Do something different every now and then
It's important to have elements of structure in your spiritual life in whatever form they take – church every Sunday, prayers before bed, grace before meals.
But we shouldn't allow our routines to restrict us. Embrace opportunities to interrupt your usual spiritual schedule to do something that will enable you to share or practise your faith in a different way.
God has given us various talents, some which we don't even know we have until we try something new, say "yes" to an unexpected invitation to a friend's house group, or respond to the call to lead prayer.
And you don't have to wait for someone else's suggestion. Why not try finding a new worship song to sing each month, or writing a different prayer each week?
Geek out
If you're a tech lover, then you might already be aware of the benefits of using gadgets to aid your spiritual growth. If you haven't gone digital yet, you may want to do so now. We spend plenty of time staring at screens for work and pleasure. We might as well spend some of our time for spiritual purposes.
From apps and blogs to daily devotional emails and the impressive library of worship songs, there are so many ways that you can use your screen time to get spiritual, develop your knowledge of God and invigorate your practise of your faith. Plus, these tools all add an element of spontaneity to your routine so they can keep you on your toes and remind you of the relevance of your beliefs.
Return to His Word
One of the main reasons we end up coasting is because we lose sight of the meaning behind our actions. All we need to know about what we should do and why can be found in God's Word. Referring back to it when we feel a bit jaded or uninspired by our spiritual schedule is a great way to revive ourselves.
We can do different things to inject some passion into our faith. But long-lasting, intentional faith is ultimately the result of our knowledge of God. A key way to build on that is by reading and meditating on His Word.
