1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about what to do 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 2: when you feel spiritually unmotivated. We'll return with the devotion 5 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 2: after a brief message from our sponsors. What to do 6 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: when you feel spiritually unmotivated written and read by Sarah Fraser. 7 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 2: And let us not grow weary of doing good, for 8 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: in due season we will reap if we do not 9 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: give up Galatians six to nine. I didn't want to 10 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: read my Bible. That is something that is hard to 11 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 2: especially since I've been a Christian for over twenty five years. 12 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,839 Speaker 2: Of course, it hasn't always been this way. Many mornings 13 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 2: I wake up ready to open up God's Word and 14 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 2: dive in. On other days, I've woken up late, or weary, 15 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: or both. The Bible sits on the table next to 16 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: my favorite chair, unopened for the day. The guilt watches 17 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: over me, and I wonder if tomorrow will be better. 18 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: Only tomorrow isn't better, and my life spirals into a 19 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: pattern of being spiritually unmotivated. How do we keep going, 20 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,839 Speaker 2: keep having faith, and keep trusting God when our spiritual 21 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: life feels empty? After a while, I've missed more than 22 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: just a day, but a routine. After neglecting my time 23 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: with God, I've seen a shift in my heart. Something 24 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: is just off. Many spiritual leaders, teachers, and authors talk 25 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 2: about them. These seasons. They often call this time in 26 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: our lives is wilderness seasons. The metaphor comes from the 27 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 2: stories in the Bible when God would lead people into 28 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 2: a physical wilderness with little water, food, or shelter. It 29 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: is a spot where maybe God's blessings seem nonexistent. Our 30 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 2: wilderness season isn't something we rush through, muster through, or 31 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: a time to abandon our faith. The hardest thing for 32 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: me in a season of deep hardship, whether that is physically, spiritually, 33 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 2: or emotionally, is that my motivation for the spiritual disciplines 34 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: comes and goes. Our faith doesn't feel vibrant but dry. 35 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 2: Let me offer some encouragement right here. A lack of 36 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 2: enthusiasm doesn't mean a lack of faith. It means you 37 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 2: are human. Paul writes in Galatians six' nine to the, 38 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 2: believers let us not grow weary in doing. Good paul 39 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: acknowledged the possibility and likelihood of being. Weary in, Fact 40 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 2: paul also included himself in that. Category he, said let 41 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: us it was even possible and probably, probable That paul 42 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 2: would grow. Tired even faithful believers get. Exhausted the Answer 43 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 2: paul offers is not try, harder but don't give. Up 44 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: i'll admit that in the middle of feeling, FATIGUED i 45 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 2: always Imagine god telling me to try, harder do, better 46 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: and just move. Forward in the middle of my messes and, 47 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: Mistakes god instead invites me to, explore maybe Why i'm so. 48 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 2: Tired some simple self reflection with the help Of god's 49 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: spirit can help us pinpoint of reason for our wilderness. 50 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 2: Season maybe it is because of physical. Exhaustion life is, 51 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 2: full and many times we enter a period of time 52 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: where we can get very little sleep and our bodies 53 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: are just. Tired emotional heaviness can also cause stress and. 54 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: Discouragement carrying the weight of emotional hurt and, heartache whether 55 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 2: that is our own or, others leaves us. Fatigued the 56 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 2: dry seasons of, life especially our spiritual, life can sometimes 57 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: be because of the repetitive nature of our. Life getting 58 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: up doing the same thing and repeating our days week after, 59 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: week month after month can wear us. Out when we 60 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 2: find ourselves in this type of. Routine we might also 61 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: place unrealistic expectations on what a quiet time With god 62 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: should look. Like what do we do when we wake 63 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: up each morning unable to motivate ourselves? Spiritually first we 64 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 2: keep it simple and. Small read one, Verse write a 65 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,799 Speaker 2: verse on a, card and keep it by your bed 66 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 2: or in your. Bathroom take one moment of your mourning 67 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: and turn Towards. God as you do, this remove the 68 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 2: pressure to have the perfect quiet time or better, yet 69 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: don't try to copy or emulate what your time With 70 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 2: god used to be. Like our faith is a growing, 71 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 2: faith which means it. Changes paul's answer to weariness was 72 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: not to work, harder but to not give. Up showing 73 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: up imperfectly is better than not showing up at. All 74 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 2: faithfulness goes much deeper than simple. Motivation paul says we 75 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 2: will feel, weary but the harvest is. Coming he says 76 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 2: we will. Reap that means there will be growth and. 77 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 2: Fruit if you feel unmotivated, today you're not, alone and 78 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: you don't have to have it all together to keep. 79 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 2: Going god simply invites you to not give, up to 80 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 2: take one small step to trust that even in this, 81 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 2: Season he is growing something you cannot yet, see intersecting 82 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 2: faith and. Life when you feel spiritually, unmotivated what is one, 83 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 2: small simple way you can turn your attention back To god? 84 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 2: Today try simply to read a verse or say one 85 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 2: prayer on your way to work this. Morning put Your 86 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 2: bible in a place where you drink your coffee or get. 87 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 2: Ready the audio version of The bible is also a 88 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 2: great way to focus and connect With god on the. 89 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 2: Go additional reading Second thessalonians three, Thirteen psalm seventy, three twenty, 90 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: Six philippians one, Six psalm one twenty six. 91 00:06:54,520 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: Five thanks for listening to today's. 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