Dealing with Spiritual Sluggishness

Jon Bloom of Desiring God discusses a problem I believe most of us suffer from more often than we like to admit:

Spiritual sluggishness is not to be tolerated; it's to be fought. It's potentially a faith-race abortifacient (Hebrews 3:19). It's a weight that needs to be laid aside (Hebrews 12:2). So how do you do that?

1. Identify the doubt. Sluggishness has a cause. What is sapping your faith?
   
   
2. Repent. Unbelief is a sin. Seek to actively turn from it.
   
   
3. Target that unbelief with biblical truth. Stop whatever else you may be doing for devotional reading and focus on and pray through texts that deal directly with this issue. Lay aside your other book reading and read things that address this doubt.
   
   
4. Don't go it alone. Humble yourself and share your struggle with trusted counselors God has given you. Our great Coach often speaks through assistant coaches (Hebrews 3:13).

Spiritual sluggishness is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). We all experience it. In the slog of our long faith-race and the adversity we encounter from the world, our flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:2–3), there are times the reward gets obscured by confusion and discouragements.

Though we may not want them, these are when we most need our Coach's exhortations. They may sting, they may humble us, but they are laced with mercy because they help clear our muddled minds, shake off the lethargy, and run again with endurance.

Read the full article here.