One of the topics that frequently arises in conversation at work is that of “coasting”. When my supervisor and I use the word, we’re generally talking about what happens when individuals get comfortable in their positions and development and growth tends to slow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; no one can push all the time without burning out. There are also a myriad of other circumstances in which it’s entirely appropriate to take a bit of a breather – personal health, family changes, life stages,etc. Where it turns into problematic coasting, at least in our context, is when the slow-down isn’t short-term or temporary, but becomes more of a mindset. The longer one coasts, the more likely it is that the coasting turns into stagnation or even attrition of skills and abilities. Professionally speaking, the cure for coasting is often uncomfortable; the only way to grow and develop is to take on projects and assignments that are really beyond one’s current skillset, and it may require intentionality and a deliberate seeking out of those opportunities.
I was thinking about the parallels between this and spiritual growth. When I think of the times my faith and trust and dependence on the Lord has grown most quickly, or where the line chart of sorts has spiked the highest, it always has been in times of tremendous discomfort and effort, even suffering. I would never call it a bad thing to take a breather of sorts from trials and suffering, but I also see the tendency for an easy life to correspond with a weak faith, which is not what I would have for myself or my children. If continued professional growth and development sometimes require intentional and deliberate effort, is the same true for spiritual growth? I don’t believe that we see laid out for us in Scripture a prescriptive pattern of the people of God deliberately seeking out suffering, so what is there?
Perhaps the inoculation against spiritual attrition and stagnation is simply the intentional and deliberate cultivation of good habits: daily Bible reading, in-depth study, prayer, regular corporate worship, deep and meaningful friendships with the people of God. None of those happen by accident; they all require effort and work to begin and maintain.
Here and now, at the beginning of 2023, it’s a good time to consider where you’ll invest your effort this year. Choose wisely; don’t just coast until you run out of momentum and grind to a halt.
This is an especially strong and very true event. Both physically and mentally, you must challenge/push your self to grow. Your faith needs the same thing, even though we do not want to experience hardships or suffering, we grow stronger in our faith when we do.