Spiritual Dryness

My last post got me feeling guilty about not blogging. So many inspiring things cross my desk (or computer screen) every day. It doesn't take much to pass along the blessing. So, I thought I'd pass on some things from a Henri Nouwen devotional that I get emailed to me everyday.

Sometimes we experience a terrible dryness in our spiritual life. We feel no desire to pray, don't experience God's presence, get bored with worship services, and even think that everything we ever believed about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is little more than a childhood fairy tale.

Then it is important to realise that most of these feelings and thoughts are just feelings and thoughts, and that the Spirit of God dwells beyond our feelings and thoughts. It is a great grace to be able to experience God's presence in our feelings and thoughts, but when we don't, it does not mean that God is absent. It often means that God is calling us to a greater faithfulness. It is precisely in times of spiritual dryness that we must hold on to our spiritual discipline so that we can grow into new intimacy with God.

I like what he said here about being "just feelings and thoughts". I apply the same reasoning to any bad thoughts that go through my brain. Rather than feel guilty, I just tell myself that they are just thoughts. Everyone has passing thoughts that are not appropriate. The question is...what will you do with the thoughts? Dwell on them? Act on them? Beat yourself up for having them? Or pray for God to rid you of them and actively turn your thoughts to something positive. I'm amazed how quickly these thoughts leave when I am proactive about them and not passive.

I hope you'll sign up for Henri's devotional. It's worth the sixty seconds it takes to read it.