We teach our children to recognize emergencies and respond by calling 911. Doing so is important and could save their lives and the lives of others.
911
There are times when our spiritual condition warrants a spiritual 911. A time when things are not right and we need to do something about it right now. It is important to recognize when we are in that state and to know what to do to change our condition.
When is it time to call a spiritual 911? Learn to recognize the…
Symptoms of Spiritual Emergency…
- Emptiness. Deep needs and real crises inevitably come into your life. When they do and you look within yourself for strength, to lean on God, do you come up empty? Have you so neglected your relationship with God that when you call on that faith, your experience of it is weak. This is a symptom of spiritual emergency. Ephesians 5:18 says, “be filled with the Spirit.” To be full of God you have to pursue him, empty your life of competing loyalties, and invite him into every aspect of your life.
- Uselessness. When your faith in God does not change you or shape your choices, it is a sign of spiritual emergency. James 1:27 speaks of a practice of religion that is “worthless.” The reason so many people are uninterested in church or Christianity is because they say, “what is the point?” They have seen too many professing Christians display no real qualitative difference in their lives as a result of their faith in Jesus. When there are signs of uselessness in our faith, it is time to immediately turn to God and begin walking in obedience, allowing his Spirit to transform us and use us for his glory.
- Phoniness. We are all prone to measures of hypocrisy. Are their places in your spiritual life where your talk does not match your walk? This does not mean you are never authentic. You can be a hypocrite and still be authentic once in a while. Even a fake clock is correct two times each day. Do you detect hints of spiritual phoniness in your life? This is a symptom of spiritual emergency. It is time to stop, turn from the hypocrisy, and make authentic choices.
- Unproductiveness. If your faith does not lead you into serving others or sharing your faith with others, it is a sign of spiritual emergency. If we are vitally connected with Christ we will bear fruit for Christ. John 15:5-6 says, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” If your faith is not driving you into acts of service, repent and surrender your life to be an instrument in God’s hand for serving others.
- Lifelessness. If your faith in Jesus is more ritual than it is relationship, then you have a spiritual emergency. Being merely religious doesn’t bring a vibrant spiritual life. Only Jesus brings that. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, you won’t have a zeal for his kingdom, nor the excitement over his work in your life. When you are really filled with Jesus, you want to know him better. You have zeal about you. Not only do you want to know him better but you want others to know him. 1 John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” If you have never personally turned from your sin, believed in Christ, and surrendered to his leadership, then now is the time to do so.
When we taught our son how to call 911 in an emergency, for a while he got it wrong. We would ask, “What number do you call in an emergency?” He would say, “991.” Well, 991 wouldn’t help at all. Emergency services won’t respond to that number. It is important to know what to do in an emergency.
When you are faced with a spiritual emergency in your life it is important that you know what to do. Turn to God. James 4:7-9 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
It is as simple as turning away from sin and renewing your relationship with Christ.
Question: Is there a time in your life when you recognized you had a spiritual emergency and you turned back to God? How did you experience God’s grace? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
A few years ago I obtained a teaching position at local school, only to be let go after just a couple of weeks. Much of that first weekend, I spend in tears uncertain as to why and wondering what next.. Over the next week, God spoke to me through the story of the Israelites. God reminded me that life has twists, turns, and difficult seasons. But so many times God uses those seasons to grow us to be more like him. And life is better on the other side.
Thanks for sharing!