Coram Deo Blog

24 July 2008 at 7:03 am by Bob Thune · formation

Spiritual Entropy

Souls are subject to entropy no less than mechanical or biological systems. Over time, we tend to lose spiritual vitality. We naturally drift toward stale orthodoxy or vague feelings of distance and discontentment.

During the next 6 weeks, we’re going to focus on the theme of RENEWAL at Coram Deo. To get us started, I want to throw out this question to the blogosphere: what does spiritual entropy feel like in your life? When you are losing momentum spiritually, how do you know it? What are the symptoms, the warning signs, the first effects? Post away.

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8 Comments »

Andy on 24 July 2008 at 7:24 am

The first warning signs for me are a lacking of desire for communion with God, specifically through prayer and reading His Word. The first effects are selfish desires and discontentment with my life or where I am at in my life professionally, spiritually, relationally, etc. It seems like as I lose momentums spiritually my own kingdom becomes paramount and God’s Kingdom becomes an afterthought.

Walker on 24 July 2008 at 9:45 am

An indicator of spiritual entropy is the lack of spiritual fruit in my life. That can be taken wrongly – that I am not doing enough – but if fruit comes from the life of the tree, then it should be taken to mean that the lack of fruit indicates a lack of the life-giving work of the Spirit in me. In other words, what I do really does reflect who I am (or at least what I believe about who I am). As Peter says, ineffective and unfruitful faith (what I do) is rooted in forgetting the gospel (who I am). Practically, I become aware of the lack of fruit in my life by a number of means: reflection (I see my own sin), community (people tell me about my sin), and perhaps the most common means is the feeling of burnout, which always reveals a quenching of the Spirit who can supply unending energy and power.

bobbi jo on 24 July 2008 at 10:17 am

I agree with both of you. For me it’s a lack of feeling God’s presence in my life. It becomes about me, which leads to burnout, discontentment, and unsettledness. That cheerleader energy I ususally have (towards God) just isn’t there, which in turn upsets the balance of peace in my life. I feel as Andy feels, like God became an afterthought. Then God will swoop in and slap me in the face with sudden realization of the downward spiral I was heading in. That usually shifts the momemtum back to focus more on God.

bobbi jo on 24 July 2008 at 10:36 am

On a side note, I feel like I have a bit of Pascal’s Wager going on right now, so I’m very interested in the next six weeks to help get me back on track. I guess you could say that is a warning sign for me, that I let my reason take over, and then get in a funk about God. That’s why I think God slaps me so much! It’s funny how He’ll use my own reasoning sometimes to get me back to Him. And of course after, I’m like…”ooohhh, that’s why things went this way. I’m an idiot and you really know what you are doing. Thanks, God for getting me back….”

Aaron on 24 July 2008 at 11:30 am

I was reading the account of the crucifixion this morning, and I think for me, when I begin to respond to Jesus like the first thief; its a sign that something is wrong:

–”Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”–

This was an anxious heart (understandably) wanting something from Jesus, and wanting it now. If God doesn’t come through in a certain way (of our choosing) our faith wanes.

I hope to develop the confidence of the second thief who was able to find faith and peace even as his king was on the cross next to him.

–Lord, remember me when you come into your kingly power–

Amen,
Aaron

Lisa on 24 July 2008 at 1:17 pm

For me.. I’ll start to feel anxious and like i have to fix everything, and take control of everything, and that everything has to be just right.. because of that, my schedule will become tighter, and the first thing that I de-prioritize is my devotional time with God and i shorten my prayer time (cuz I’m so tired from making sure everything turns out right , the irony is fascinating).. then i will hit, like a brick wall, i’ll start feeling alone, insecure, everything at once.. that’s when He pulls me close, and reminds me who’s child i am, and who i belong too.. it’s a painful process (which is obviously part of His plan for me) but to be totally honest.. that moment when I realize how much I need Him .. and how much I have been ignoring Him.. it’s the most humbling and joy producing moment(s) to date.. I don’t have the biblical knowledge to back that up with anything.. but ummm it’s sweet …

micah on 24 July 2008 at 8:36 pm

The first effect that I observe is that I am doing what I am supposed to out of a stubborn sense of duty and nothing more, no fulfillment just a sense that I am rotting from the leftside out. If I let things get worse I soon start fantasizing about rebelling in ways that I think will free me from the monotony. What it takes to actually push me into a lifestyle of sin is then believing that this is all just part of an inevitable cycle.

Brian S. on 25 July 2008 at 2:54 pm

For me the primary symptom is withdrawal from community with the the Trinity, my neighbors, my friends, and my family. I just want to be by myself for myself. When the Gospel has power in my life the opposite is true.