I was reading a morning devotional from BibleGateway featuring a snippet and set of quotes from C.S. Lewis. The article provided an interesting reminder and warning for life and relationships. The truth is, we drift apart in relationships, not together!
After reading this article I was immediately reminded of how true it can be and how easily the drift in our married lives can occur. Truthfully, Trish and I are constantly reminded that we are battling the cultural drift. We know all to well that work, children, church, friends, family and a host of causes can easily crowd our schedules and cause us to drift away from each other. It doesn't take long before carpooling to after school activities and taking on extra projects at work can turn to lovers into live in strangers. We have seen the parade of good intentions and excellent opportunities push and pull us in different directions. "Will you host this..." or "Will you help with that..." are all such easy and innocent requests that we feel guilty for saying no. Until we realize that without constant focus we are miles apart.
It is not just activities that pull us away. We also get pulled away by the natural current of selfishness. Without focus and attention to our schedules and attitudes we are prone to drift apart. The same is true in matters of faith, as Lewis also suggests. In fact, lately, I've even seen the truth that C.S. Lewis mentions in my own faith life.
For the last couple of Sundays I have been in and out of different churches and visiting different places. In some cases I was the visiting speaker, in other cases I just opted to attend a different service. In any regard, I have been absent from my church for a couple of Sundays. During this absence I discovered that without being active in a faith community, we drift away from service, outreach, devotion, love and prayer. If we don't regularly attend church, we are not actively engaging with the pastor or friends. And once we disengage with the pastor and members, we easily miss major milestones, forget to comfort the grieving, neglect the poor and the widows, stop caring about the wounded world around us, and ultimately we drift away from all those who care about us. Not to mention, we also stop responding to those who need us to care about them. In the drift we loose our active faith muscles which causes prayers to go unspoken and the the gift of fellowship to be left unopened.
So, what should we do?
Pray that you will not drift. Pray that you will recognize the drift if it has already started. Pray and then take the action of moving towards fellowship with each other and away from isolation. Pray that you will have the strength to go against the current, even when you are tired. Pray that you will do your best to not drift. Pray that you will not surrender to your own selfishness, but trust God's faithfulness and power.
God, please help me remember to take time to serve, worship, pray and fellowship with others. Love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and fellowship is the food that will keep me well fed and moving closer together with other believers. God, please help me in my marriage to not drift. I know that culture, work, activities and other good intentions are always opportunities to pull us apart. In marriage and in faith help me so that I will not drift. Teach me, empower me and give me strength to build relationships and live on purpose.
That is why daily prayers and religious readings and church going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed. We must work to move to another or else we will just drift away. C.S. Lewis
After reading this article I was immediately reminded of how true it can be and how easily the drift in our married lives can occur. Truthfully, Trish and I are constantly reminded that we are battling the cultural drift. We know all to well that work, children, church, friends, family and a host of causes can easily crowd our schedules and cause us to drift away from each other. It doesn't take long before carpooling to after school activities and taking on extra projects at work can turn to lovers into live in strangers. We have seen the parade of good intentions and excellent opportunities push and pull us in different directions. "Will you host this..." or "Will you help with that..." are all such easy and innocent requests that we feel guilty for saying no. Until we realize that without constant focus we are miles apart.
It is not just activities that pull us away. We also get pulled away by the natural current of selfishness. Without focus and attention to our schedules and attitudes we are prone to drift apart. The same is true in matters of faith, as Lewis also suggests. In fact, lately, I've even seen the truth that C.S. Lewis mentions in my own faith life.
For the last couple of Sundays I have been in and out of different churches and visiting different places. In some cases I was the visiting speaker, in other cases I just opted to attend a different service. In any regard, I have been absent from my church for a couple of Sundays. During this absence I discovered that without being active in a faith community, we drift away from service, outreach, devotion, love and prayer. If we don't regularly attend church, we are not actively engaging with the pastor or friends. And once we disengage with the pastor and members, we easily miss major milestones, forget to comfort the grieving, neglect the poor and the widows, stop caring about the wounded world around us, and ultimately we drift away from all those who care about us. Not to mention, we also stop responding to those who need us to care about them. In the drift we loose our active faith muscles which causes prayers to go unspoken and the the gift of fellowship to be left unopened.
So, what should we do?
Pray! Pray! Pray! and...
Pray!
God, please help me remember to take time to serve, worship, pray and fellowship with others. Love, forgiveness, grace, mercy and fellowship is the food that will keep me well fed and moving closer together with other believers. God, please help me in my marriage to not drift. I know that culture, work, activities and other good intentions are always opportunities to pull us apart. In marriage and in faith help me so that I will not drift. Teach me, empower me and give me strength to build relationships and live on purpose.
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