What does it mean to drift?
Webster’s Dictionary defines drifting as, “to move along the line of least resistance” or “to move in a random or casual way.” This makes me think of the childhood game I played any time I cross a creek on a bridge. I would choose a stick and drop it in the water on one side and then race to the other side of the bridge to see the stick pop out on that side. I couldn’t control or steer my stick but only watch as it ambled away.
If we are not careful this is what can happen in our relationship with God.
Without intentionality, we end up just floating along the current of life. After a while we look up and realize how far we have drifted from our relational starting point without even realizing we were moving at all.
Or instead, maybe we find ourselves in stagnant waters. After starting strong, we find our forward progress has slowed, and we are content to live in the shallow water that no longer flows. We go to church every week and do a daily devotional or Bible reading. We have built solid habits, but they have become nothing more than that, just a habit.
Drifting takes us to places we never intend to go, and stagnant water is synonymous with algae, bacteria, bugs, and stink.
Neither of these options sounds inviting.
If we want to stop drifting or extricate ourselves from stagnant pools, it is going to take a different level of intentionality and commitment. Go deeper with God. Take the next step forward to grow in relationship with God. The beauty of getting to know God is that we never fully “arrive” until we get to be with Him in Heaven. That means there is always more to learn, discover, and do.
So what does taking the next step look like for you?
Maybe your next step is to go from attending church to serving at church. Already serve? Take on a leadership role or find out how you can be more involved in a specific area of service.
Do you have a consistent quiet time? If so, take that daily devotional and really meditate on its message and how it applies to your life. Look again at the chapter you read from the Bible today. Read the footnotes and cross references listed in the margins. Already do that? Go deeper. Find a commentary or exposition about that passage. Look for a podcast that teaches you about the context and culture of the time you are reading about in the Bible. Seeing Scripture through the eyes of history can bring it to life in a new and powerful way.
Are you part of a small group or Bible study? If yes, why not look for a way to help lead the group or start a new one? Offer to do further research on the topic your group is already doing.
Take steps to break old patterns and cycles that lack direction or only fulfill a checklist.
God desires a deep and meaningful relationship with each one of us. We are blessed to live in an age and part of the world where we have access to books, study materials, podcasts, chat groups, and sermons from one hundred years ago or just yesterday. The only road block keeping us from choosing to growing in relationship with God is us. It is a choice. It takes intentionality and effort. Today let’s choose to lean in and dig deeper. Let’s take the next step forward in getting to know God more and allow Him to show us more about Himself each day.
