Monday night, I met a group of guys for a cheap steak dinner. We meet every Monday to enjoy a New York Strip, a salad and a side dish for $11.99. The steak is usually delicious. But the conversation is even better.
This past Monday, I asked the guys how they overcome spiritual dryness (which I would define as not having a spiritual appetite).
They provided several great answers (confessing sin, prayer, keeping routines, getting more sleep), but fellowship is the one that stood out to me. The next day, one of the guys sent me a text.
“Woke this morning thinking about a military march,” he wrote. “It is a struggle to get 100 people from [point] A 2 [point] B. But after a few practice sessions, they come to enjoy the cadence and movements that unity brings. It gives an army the energy to endure the trip from Rome to Jerusalem. So, to answer your question about a dry spell: Keep in fellowship. Soon you will be encouraging the next guy marching next to you on your way to the Promised Land.”
I have a friend who likes to paint a mental picture of this. He tells his buddies that we need to walk with each other toward the celestial city, helping each other get there. If one man starts to wander, you gently pull him back to the narrow path, pointing to the narrow gate and the majesty of Christ. All else pales in comparison. All else loses its luster. Or it should.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) speaks about this: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Bible commentator Matthew Henry wrote this, in part, in response to verse 25: “It is the will of Christ that his disciples should assemble together, sometimes more privately for conference and prayer, and in public for hearing and joining in all the ordinances of gospel worship. There were in the apostles’ times, and should be in every age, Christian assemblies for the worship of God, and for mutual edification. And it seems even in those times there were some who forsook these assemblies, and so began to apostatize from religion itself. The communion of saints is a great help and privilege, and a good means of steadiness and perseverance; hereby their hearts and hands are mutually strengthened.”
In a world that often nudges us toward isolation, we need reminders about how we can draw strength from one another. I’m an introvert, so I stumble through my attempts to build connections, but I’ve learned the benefit of Christian fellowship, so I try to embrace it.
If you find yourself in a place of dryness, don’t hesitate to reach out to a fellow believer. Invite them for a cup of coffee or a meal, and open the door to a conversation that could reignite your spiritual appetite. Together, we can encourage one another, navigate the challenging paths in front of us and ultimately, march together toward the Promised Land.
