February 11, 2012

Keep Moving!

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works . . . " -Revelation 2:5

When we hear the word "backslider," we think of someone who completely abandons their faith and turns their back on God. And certainly a person who does this could be classified as a backslider. But I would suggest there might be some people who are backsliding and aren't even aware of it.

No one plans on backsliding. You don't call up your Christian friend and say, "Hey, want to backslide tonight? Pick you up at 7:00. What do you say?" No, that is not what happens. Backsliding happens subtly, and often it happens gradually. In fact, it may be so subtle that you may not even know that it is actually taking place. The Bible warns about this and tells us that one of the signs of the end times is that people will fall away from the faith (see 1 Timothy 4:1).

God says that if we have backslidden, we should return to Him (see Jeremiah 3:22). And Jesus told the church in Ephesus, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen" (Revelation 2:5).

Are you in a fallen state today? Are you in the process of backsliding? You are either going forward in Christ, or you are going backward. You are either progressing, or you are regressing. And the moment you put your walk with Christ into neutral, you will find yourself going in the wrong direction.

I read about a sign at the end of a runway that reads, "Keep moving. If you stop, you are in danger and a danger to those flying." The same warning can be applied to the Christian life: Keep moving. If you stop, you are in danger and a danger to others.

So don't rest on your laurels. Don't live in the past. We need to be constantly growing as followers of Jesus.