Stagnating in the "Middle Place"

Often in this life, we find ourselves stuck somewhere between two poles, our lives spanning from one extreme to the other. On one end, we cruise through without much effort, falling into patterns and routines of complacency and feeling pretty proud of ourselves in doing so. On the other end, we experience complete upheaval, clueless and aimless as we look for purpose and direction, but feel only the encroaching abyss.

As we bump along, back and forth, through the maze of life, God is always there. What we choose to do with that knowledge dictates how we let faith direct us - or not - as we either stagnate, wither, or grow.

In my life, I have always found it easy to praise God in times of prosperity, but even more so in turmoil. When my life is on the upswing, I am quick to thank God for my many blessings and tangibly feel the hope to which he has called me, the riches of his glorious inheritance, and his incomparably great power (Ephesians 1:18). When I am stuck in the depths, feeling lost, lonely, and deceived, I am quick to depend on His strength, not my own, and it doesn't take me long to remember that the Lord himself goes before me and will be with me; he will never leave me nor forsake me, so I have no need to be afraid or discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8).

However, the middle place - the place of stagnation - is where I unwittingly allow myself to become mediocre in my faith. This is the place where things aren't exactly amazing, but they're not the worst they could be, either. This is the area I often find myself in, and it's truly the scariest because this is where I tend to try to live life on my own, Godless - and not even realizing it. Before long, I become lost in the ho-hum of life, traveling full-speed ahead into the trap of busyness, and unaware that there is nothing but silence all around me.

And this silence I speak of is not a relaxing kind of silence, but an eerie one. It's the silence of God.

As a believer, I have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within me, so I don't need anyone to teach me what is true. For the Spirit teaches me everything I need to know, and what he teaches is true - it is not a lie. So just as he has taught me, I am to remain in fellowship with Christ (1 John 2:27). But here's the sticky part: I don't always hold up my end of the deal.

Often, and much too late, I realize His whispers have stopped because I've built up so many walls and idols around my world that I've unintentionally blocked Him out. When reading Scripture, I stop experiencing life-giving direction and read out of routine, not purpose. When outdoors, I see none of the beauty and wonder, but only the transient nature of the day. When an opportunity to evangelize presents itself, I feel no prompting, thus forgetting we are called to carry each other's burdens in order to fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

Life passes me by and, seemingly, so does God.

But I know that's not true.

I know that when it's silent, it's ME who is too loud because MY GOD IS FAITHFUL. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 86:15). MY GOD GIVES ME FREE WILL, so if I want to rule my own life, MY GOD WILL LET ME. But as a dear friend once sweetly stated, where are you living from if your heart is sick?

And in these periods of silence, friends, when I'm stuck midstream in the current of my life, hanging onto metaphorical driftwood, feeling powerless, but not yet completely helpless or hopeless, these are the times I must learn to cling to the Lord. These are the times my heart is the sickest because these are the times when I don't even realize I'm ill.

Living a life for God requires action. We can't be passive. It's an opportunity cost we can't afford. We must follow the Lord wholeheartedly; we cannot be complacent. We cannot wander aimlessly, forsaking His direction and promises.

God has promised new hearts and desires. (Ezekiel 36:26)
God has promised forgiveness. (John 1:9)
God has promised our sins will be far removed from us. (Psalm 103:12)
God has promised the Holy Spirit will guide us. (John 16:13)
God has promised to take care of our daily needs. (Matthew 6:31-34)
God has promised to guide us. (Isaiah 30:21)
God has promised peace. (Isaiah 26:3)
God has promised He will come back for us. (John 14:23)

He has promised us these things and so many more, yet time and time again, we ignore the prize of our inheritance in order to go it alone. Why, oh why, do we do this, friends?

When it becomes difficult to discern the voice of God, we can be sure that it's us who have stepped away, not him. God speaks to us continually. He speaks to us through His Living Word, through sights, sounds, and nature, through our thoughts and feelings, through the wisdom of others, through signs and experiences; He never leaves us to our own devices. We weren't meant to do this on our own.

It is through God that we are satisfied. He satisfies the longing of our souls. He fills our hungriness with good things (Psalm 107:9). Apart from Him, we lack discernment. We lack wisdom. We lack guidance. When left to our own devices, we either stagnate or wither. When we give our lives to God, we grow.

If we will choose to make time in the busyness to slow down just a bit, just enough to let God in, to let Him direct our steps, we don't need to try to understand everything else along the way (Proverbs 20:24). When we set out to find God, we will discover the world is vibrantly alive with his presence. We will discover that there is rest, instead of rush.

I don't know about you, but I can't handle the anxiety that comes from living in stagnation. Too often it's a chain that Satan bounds me with, trapping me in the midst of a world swirling all around me, seeming to force conformity and keeping me doing just enough to stay afloat, but unable to slow down.

Now that I realize this dangerous cycle, it is through the power of Christ that I declare NO MORE!

I want to hear God. I want to tangibly receive his wisdom and discernment in my life, both in the mundane and in the extraordinary. May the eyes of my heart be enlightened so I will no longer cling to the driftwood, heading downstream while my life passes me by with God next to me, quietly letting me figure it out on my own.

I want to seek him and find him with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:13). 

I want to LOUDLY hear His voice and His call on my life and tailor my everyday responses, reactions, and decisions to his directions.

I want God to heal my heart. I want to remain in Him, so that He remains in me (John 15:4). I want to feel the closeness of His love. I want my joy to overflow.

And I want all this for you, as well. So let us pray:

Father, we didn't choose you, you chose us. You appointed us to live for you in this world, and we cannot do that when we are living for ourselves or under our own authority. I pray that we would continually look to you for guidance, for direction, and for discernment as we live in the "middle place" of our lives. Let us trust in you and make you our hope and confidence. Let us never stop producing fruit in your name. Amen.

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