*YAWN AND STRETCH*
*Deep Breath*
Wow. Thanksgiving break was wonderful (and much needed). Not only did I get a break off of homework but really all of responsibilities in life. During the times that I wasn't helping or partaking in some family event, I sat around, watched Hallmark movies, built LEGOs, played video games, and slept. It was marvelous!
There was definitely homework that I could have gotten done and some tasks that I definitely should have done, but I'm very glad for the break that I got. I think it really helped me to reestablish focus and productivity now that I'm back to school.
But with waking up late in the day and lounging around for the rest of the day, came something I should have expected. I got out of my routine, and so I would find myself going days without really praying or reading the Bible like I had been. That's something that I did not want to take a break from.
Now, just like with the breather from homework, the "break" from Spiritual Disciplines (that's the prayer, bible-reading, worship, etc. stuff) has inspired me to jump back into it and I'm very motivated to do so, but the "damage" that was done on my "break" may definitely have outweighed the benefit of added motivation. The way I picture it is like climbing a mountain.
The harder I press into the mountains with my spikes, the more secure I am, and the more frequently I move my hands up or find a new foothold, the faster I move. In the same way, the harder I press into God's word and the more frequently I spend time with Him, my relationship with Christ grows stronger and more rapidly.
However, in mountain climbing there is a force that is constantly acting downward on the mountain climber: gravity. While this may be a slight stretch of reality, the way I picture it is if the climber stops climbing, that gravity begins to slowly pull them down. In other words, if s/he's not moving up, s/he's actually moving down. I don't know if you've heard it said, "If you're not growing, you're dying."
That's definitely how I felt this past week. I wasn't growing. I wasn't climbing. So, I felt myself slipping. I began to lose more ground in one week than I had gained in weeks of spiritual discipline. So, from my own experience, my advice is to not take a break from God. Keep digging in regardless of what your current situation is. But, this is just based off of what works for me. I know that not everyone is the same, and I'm curious to hear what you guys think of this.
What do you think about "taking a break" from Christ? How has it affected your relationship with Him? Have you ever done it? Does the motivation afterward outweigh the cost of the break?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best of luck in the real world and God Bless,
-XTopher
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