Faith Feels Boring Because Nothing Is Happening

What do we do when Christianity feels like it just "isn't working".

We expected faith to change our life, but nothing seemed different.

I understand why that can make faith feel boring.

We hear testimonies about a prayer being answered overnight or another Christian having a moment with God that changed everything.

Then we look at our own Monday morning, where we read a chapter before going to work and the day looks pretty much the same when we come home.

It can begin to feel like absence, especially when we expected following God to change what we could see or how we felt.

In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul is talking about our mortal bodies and the future God promised, when believers will be with the Lord.

He admits that life here can leave us burdened, then points to the Holy Spirit God has already given as the earnest, or the guarantee, of what is coming.

He is explaining how we can live with confidence now while that promise remains unseen.

That's why he wrote, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

What we can see today isn't the whole story.

We can see the unanswered prayer and remember that the Bible felt plain this morning, but we can't see beyond today.

Walking by faith doesn't require us to call an ordinary day exciting.

Paul was honest about feeling burdened and still believed God while he waited.

God never promised that every prayer would come with a strong feeling.

Sometimes Scripture corrects us and we know it right away, while other times we close the Bible without feeling much at all.

When that happens, we can go back to what God said instead of deciding the morning was pointless.

In this verse, walk means how we live, so Paul is describing a life that trusts God while His promise remains unseen.

One way we live that out is by coming back to God tomorrow and telling Him the truth, even if we still feel the same.

Jesus already brought us near to God through the cross, which is still true on the mornings when prayer feels quiet.

You may not be able to point to a change right now, but our sight is too limited to say God has done nothing.

Bring Him the exact disappointment, whether you feel bored or you're tired of waiting, because He already knows what you've been trying to say.

Don't add ten new habits to prove that you're serious.

Even if nothing dramatic happens today, we can still take the next step with Him.

Here's how to walk through a quiet season:

1. Finish the sentence you've been carrying around.

Start with the words, I thought by now God would..., and finish the sentence honestly. Bring it into prayer instead of hiding it behind the answer you think you're supposed to give.

2. Read the verses around 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:5-7 slowly and underline what God has already done. He's given us His Spirit as the guarantee of what is coming.

3. Bring the question to a pastor or mature Christian.

A pastor is the best place to start.

If you don't have one, tell a mature Christian you trust how long faith has felt flat and ask them to help compare your expectation with Scripture.

PRAYER

Father God, this season has been so quiet that I don't know what to do with it anymore.

I thought faith would feel different by now.

You already know where I'm disappointed.

Bring me back to what You have said on the days when I can't see any change.

Thank You for giving us Your Spirit as the guarantee of our future with You.

Help me keep trusting Jesus when my feelings are quiet today.

Help me return tomorrow without trying to force a feeling.

Teach me to walk by faith when the day looks unchanged.

In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen.