What to Do When You Need a Spiritual Recharge
At the risk of offending somebody reading this, I must admit that I’m not a plant person. Well, I do have a couple fake plants and garlands in both my loft and classroom, but keeping actual plants alive isn’t necessarily a hobby I excel at or enjoy. However, I was given a fiddle-leaf fig tree as a gift last summer, so I became a plant mom by default. From what I hear, it may have been easier to start my plant mom life with something a little less finicky, but I’ve been doing my best.
Unfortunately, when my little tree was first delivered to me, it was in pretty rough shape. (Long story.) The leaves were drooping in the extreme summer heat. They were dust covered, with lots of large brown spots. I did some research, and you know how that internet research goes…. One source said to water it this much, and another source suggested watering it that much. One page said to re-pot it immediately, and another page said to definitely not re-pot it until it was healthier. Everything I read agreed on a couple things, though. Wipe the dust and dirt off the leaves, place it near a light source, and water it once a week.
So I did just that! And in the first week or two, some of the worst looking leaves naturally fell off and removed themselves. The remaining leaves looked greener after I wiped them down, and I felt a twinge of hope. Things were looking up! But then, nothing else happened. I kept watering my plant baby once a week, but the leaves that stuck around just stayed drooping toward the ground with some stagnant brown spots.
And I’m sorry to say, that’s what my fiddle-leaf fig tree has looked like ever since. It’s been nine months now, and my droopy-leaved, brown-spotted fig tree is still prominently placed in my living room. It looks better than it originally did, but it’s definitely not great. So I faithfully explain its somewhat sad appearance to anybody who stops by. Sometimes people offer advice—plant food, cutting off the brown spots, definitely not cutting off the brown spots, re-potting it—and I take it all in. But I haven’t had the gumption to try anything else yet, so my stagnant tree remains, possibly plateaued forever.
Have you ever hit plateaus in your spiritual life? Maybe you went through a stretch of time when you were really growing! Reading Scripture every morning, talking to God daily, and attending church every Sunday. Maybe you were a faithful participant of a small group at church for an entire year! Or perhaps you had a span of a couple weeks when you were super motivated to memorize a chapter of the Bible. (Speaking from experience there.) But it’s hard to maintain continual growth over long periods of time. After guiding my fig tree through a couple big milestones, I settled into my weekly watering routine, and the tree’s appearance hasn’t changed since.
So I’m here to suggest one thing—try something new. TODAY! If you don’t feel like you’re in a state of spiritual growth and maturation, something needs to change. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, and consider one of these ideas:
- Try a different approach to your regular quiet time with Jesus
- Study a book of the Bible you’ve never read/studied before
- Start taking notes during the sermon at church
- Change up your prayer routine in some way (here’s one idea!)
- Get coffee with a believer friend to talk about his/her spiritual routines
- Meet with a more seasoned believer to ask advice and gain wisdom from
- Find a new Christian podcast to listen to
- Spend 24 hours off the grid with just you and Jesus—no phone, no TV, no other people
- Begin fasting, or change your current fasting routine
- Host a social event with friends from church that includes intentional conversation about discipleship
Have you noticed that Jesus didn’t get into repetitive routines? He didn’t heal the same way every single time. He didn’t pray the same way every single time. He didn’t even bring the Israelites across bodies of water the same way each time. God works in new and creative ways! Why shouldn’t you do the same? Who said you had to do things the same? No need to copy other people, and no need to keep copying your own past practices. If you need to renew your spiritual zest, change it up. Try something new. Inject new life into your relationship with the Lord! And then when you hit another stalling point, change it up again. Don’t sit there like my droopy-leaved, brown-spotted tree—plateaued because I haven’t tried something new. Be proactive, seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and make a move.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. -Isaiah 43:19