How Do You Get Out of a Spiritual Slump?
Keeping the faith when God seems silent
I love words, especially odd ones. Here’s one for you: slog. One dictionary defines slog as “to walk or plod heavily.” Have you ever had to slog your way through life? I must admit, I have been in quite a slogging season lately.
Athletes call it a slump. Out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason, a person seemingly loses the ability to do the most basic things that once came naturally. A basketball player suddenly can’t make a free throw. A golfer goes through a spell where even a tap-in putt becomes a disaster. A baseball hitter temporarily loses the ability to put the bat on the ball, and when he finally does, he hits it sharply—but directly at a defender.
One of the worst sports slumps I have ever witnessed involved Steve Sax, the All-Star second baseman who played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees before finishing his career with the White Sox and Athletics. Steve was as dependable a second baseman as you could find until one day he made a bad throw from second base to first. Suddenly, his confidence was shaken, and every throw afterward became an adventure. We call this phenomenon “the yips.”
No one really knows what causes slumps, and even worse, no one knows how to cure them. They appear unannounced and disappear just as mysteriously. The usual prescription for a slumping athlete is simple: stick to the fundamentals, keep doing the little things, and—if you will—slog. Then, one day, almost without warning, the switch flips, and the athlete returns to form.
I think that is sound advice for a spiritual slump as well. When God seems silent and we lack the spiritual vitality and power we have known at other times, the most beneficial thing we can do is remain faithful to the basics: Bible reading and prayer. When you find it difficult to read your Bible, spend some time in the Psalms. When your prayers feel dry and mechanical, use the hymnal as a prayer book, praying through the rich truths found in the great hymns of the faith.
The best cure for the spiritual “yips” is simply to slog. Keep showing up. Keep opening your Bible. Keep praying, even when it feels difficult. In His time, God will make His presence known again, and you will once more enjoy the rich fellowship of the Holy Spirit. But until then, remain faithful to the spiritual disciplines, patiently waiting for God to bring you through this dry season.
Hang in there—but hang in there actively. God hears His children, and in His perfect time, He will bring your slump to an end.
I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
—Psalm 40:1–3