GROWTH · A REFLECTION
The dangers of spiritual stagnation.
Feeling worn down in your faith? A reflection on Galatians 6:9–10 about perseverance, spiritual growth, and finding the strength to keep doing good.
Spiritual stagnation can begin quietly. We keep saying we want to grow in faith, but we stop responding to what God is showing us. A habit goes unquestioned. A needed conversation keeps getting postponed. Prayer becomes something we'll return to when life settles down.
One evening, while we were walking, a wise man pointed to a nearby creek and asked me what I saw. I watched the water moving as he spoke about the difference between flowing water and water that has become stagnant. I kept thinking about that conversation afterward.
It came back to me one morning while I was reading Galatians 6. Paul's encouragement to keep doing good made me think about how easily we can stop growing without making a conscious decision to stop. We put something off, then put it off again. Eventually, what once troubled us starts to feel normal.
Recognizing spiritual drift
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9 · ESV
There is a reason Paul speaks about weariness. Doing good can be hard, especially when you don't see much coming from it. You keep showing up for people. You keep trying to change a habit. You pray, and the situation still looks the same.
After a while, it's tempting to stop paying attention. A missed time of prayer turns into weeks. Resentment becomes something you live with. You know there is a conversation you need to have, but you keep finding reasons to leave it for another day.
Those moments ask for an honest question: where have I stopped putting my faith into practice?
What Galatians 6 says about growth
In Galatians 6:7–10, Paul connects what we sow with what we reap. He warns about sowing to the flesh and calls us to sow to the Spirit, to persevere, and to do good to others.
That brings the passage close to home. The things we give our attention to shape our desires. The habits we repeat become easier to return to. It is worth asking whether our everyday choices are helping us live out what we say we believe.
Is there something you've read in Scripture that you keep avoiding in practice? Is there a habit you keep defending because you don't want to face how much it has taken from you? These questions can be uncomfortable. Take them seriously, and bring them to God.
Sometimes the response is quite ordinary: apologize, keep your word, make time to pray, or help someone who needs you. You may not feel changed immediately. Keep giving those choices room to become part of your life.
Knowing when you need rest and support
We also need to be careful with one another. An exhausted person may need rest and care before they can see a way forward. Being tired does not, by itself, mean you are neglecting your faith.
Earlier in the chapter, Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry one another's burdens. Let that apply to you, too. You can ask someone to pray with you or admit that you've been struggling to stay connected.
If you have drifted, you can return. Start with an honest prayer. Open the passage again. Remember the assurance in Isaiah 41:10 that God strengthens and upholds His people. And if discouragement has made it hard to hope, you may find encouragement in Psalm 30 and the promise of joy after sorrow.
Taking one faithful step
Something may have come to mind while you were reading: a conversation, a neglected responsibility, or a part of your relationship with God that needs attention. Begin there.
Choose a response you can act on today. If you've kept putting it off because you're afraid, David's trust in God when facing Goliath offers another place to reflect. Ask someone you trust to walk with you as you take that step.
Paul's words encourage us to keep going when the harvest is still out of sight. We can trust God with the time it takes and keep tending what He has entrusted to us.