Beware of Spiritual Atrophy

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Kings 8:52

Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you.

(ESV)

Webster defines atrophy as a decrease in size or the wasting away of a body part or tissue.  Another non-medical definition is a wasting away or progressive decline.  (1)  While medical atrophy is something we can easily see, we can suffer from a form of spiritual atrophy which can lead to the wasting away of our soul and the decay of our spirit.  Even well-meaning believers in Christ can fall prey to this serious disease and we must be on our guard against it continually. 

John 10:10 reminds us that the thief, Satan, comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  This was evident in the Garden of Eden where Satan destroyed Adam and Eve’s close intimate relationship with God, their creator (Genesis 3).  However, the second half of John 10:10 reminds us that Jesus came to give us abundant life.  Thankfully, Satan’s plans for the destruction of humanity were unsuccessful for Jesus, the sinless Son of God became man and restored the relationship with God that Satan destroyed in the Garden of Eden. 

However, just as our earthly relationships, and even our marriage relationships, can grow cold and suffer from atrophy, our restored relationship to God through Christ can atrophy as well.  To guard against spiritual atrophy of our relationship with God we must,

1)      Be humble (Ephesians 4:2) (2) – Proverbs 16:18 reminds us that pride precedes a fall.  Moses, struck with curiosity approached the burning bush and once he realized he was in the presence of God humbled himself (Exodus 3:1-6).  In this humbled state, Moses was able to hear from God and received his mission in life, to be the one to deliver God’s people from Egyptian slavery.   While most of us will not see a burning bush and receive a magnanimous mission from God, we all must humble ourselves in order to hear from God and receive direction in our lives.  Unfortunately, it is easy for us to allow our pride and belief that we can handle things to put up a barrier between us and God.  If this pride is not held in check by practicing humility before God, our relationship with God can suffer from atrophy.

2)      Offer Forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32) (2) – One item lacking in the recent Presidential Election in the United States was forgiveness.  One such instance involved vicious attacks by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz against each other. (3)  Many feared this divisiveness would cause the eventual nominee, Donald Trump to lose to Hillary Clinton in the general election.  Fortunately, Ted Cruz forgave Donald Trump and actually campaigned for him, contributing to his victory (4) Jesus provides the example of perfect forgiveness.  He suffered needless pain for us on the cross.  He was rejected by the religious leaders of his time who should have realized from scripture that He was the Messiah.  However, despite this pain and rejection, Jesus offered forgiveness and by his death and resurrection, restoring humanity’s relationship with God that was lost in the Garden was restored. 

3)      Communicate well (James 1:19) (2) – God gave us two ears and only one mouth.  In other words, we should learn to listen more than we speak.  Learning to listen more and speak less shows others that,

a.       We value them and their opinions

b.       We value their time

c.       We are able and willing to consider multiple points of view

d.       We are telling them what they have to say is important to us

e.       We are showing them we are mature and professional
      In any relationship communication is critical.  Jesus demonstrated his willingness to listen to us in his parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8).  However, why pray if we are not willing to take time to listen to God for an answer to our prayers.  We therefore must not allow our relationship with God to atrophy and spend time daily communicating with God in prayer and study of His Word.    

4)      Have patience (Romans 12:12) (2) – We live in an instant gratification society.  We can instantly communicate with others via our cell phones from anywhere and to anywhere in the world.  We can have a hot meal in minutes by using a microwave or convection oven.  However, our eternal God is not bound by the confines of time and therefore is patient and may not provide an instantaneous answer to our prayer.  When we become impatient waiting for an answer to our prayer, we begin to believe we need to take care of things ourselves and usually end up messing things up.  In the extreme, we may even begin to believe God does not hear us and our relationship with God can atrophy. 

Spiritual atrophy, just like physical atrophy, is a serious condition.  In our present chaotic times, it is critical for us to guard against spiritual atrophy of our relationship with God by being humble, offering forgiveness, communicating well, and having patience.  A lost world must see God’s people enjoying a vibrant growing relationship with God and not a relationship suffering from spiritual atrophy. 

1. Merriam-Webster. Atrophy. www.merriam-webster.com. [Online] Merriam-Webster. [Cited: March 8, 2017.] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrophy.

2. Bible Blog. 4 BIBLE VERSES FOR MENDING A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP. blog.bible. [Online] Bible Blog. [Cited: March 8, 2017.] http://blog.bible/bible-blog/entry/4-bible-verses-for-mending-a-broken-relationship.

3. Blake, Aaron. 9 truly awful things Ted Cruz and Donald Trump said about each other. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, September 23, 2016. [Cited: March 8, 2017.] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/23/9-truly-awful-things-that-were-said-between-ted-cruz-and-the-man-hell-now-support-donald-trump/?utm_term=.98de6104a682.

4. Enloe, Chris. Cruz says he and his family have forgiven Donald Trump, says decision to endorse took months of prayer. www.theblaze.com. [Online] The Blaze, September 24, 2016. [Cited: March 8, 2017.] http://www.theblaze.com/news/2016/09/24/cruz-says-he-and-his-family-have-forgiven-donald-trump-says-decision-to-endorse-took-months-of-prayer/.