When I was a kid I had a ditch by my house that would flood when it rained at high tide. It was deep and wide enough for it to become a makeshift swimming pool for the kids in the neighborhood. While many of my friends laughed and played in that water, I had to look on from the banks.You see, my mom wouldn’t let me get into that murky stagnant water. And for good reason. An article I came across recently warned that:

“While playing in floodwater looks like fun, experts warn that stagnant water left behind after a rainstorm…can be extremely hazardous. …water-borne illnesses and infections, chemical exposure, drowning and electrical shock” are some of the most common dangers.

While I don’t believe anything serious ever happened to my neighborhood friends back then, I’m thankful my mom knew the risks and wouldn’t let us dive in.

Just like stagnant water poses health risks, a stagnant faith poses spiritual risks.

As humans, we are created for growth.

Our need for growth is why many of us are attracted to books and documentaries, while many pursue degrees, and are constantly learning how to do new things. God designed us for growth. But God didn’t just design us for intellectual growth, He also and more importantly designed us to grow in the knowledge of how He would want us to live in His good creation. Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden in the cool of the day and they did that to learn more about God and His desires. As Christians, we are to continue to learn more about God as well. We are to do that so that we will grow in our knowledge of God’s will and live according to His ways.

But growth is not something that comes natural to us.

We are easily distracted by the things of this world, pulled off course, hindered, and the result is stagnancy. Slipping into stagnancy isn’t new, Christians have grown stagnant from the beginning. I don’t know if you’ve experienced a time of stagnancy in your life but I have. A time where I wasn’t growing in my knowledge of God, His word, and Christlikeness. A time when I was walking backwards instead of forwards. That’s just not good. It’s not good for us, our family, or our community.

We weren’t created for stagnancy, which is why we must continue to grow. But that isn’t going to happen on its own. We have to actively work to grow while at same time guarding against stagnancy.

Next time

Next time we will begin discussing how to keep from growing stagnant.

Question for Reflection

1. Do you believe your faith is stagnant?

Resources

Post developed from my sermon How can we guard against being a stagnant Christian?