Bible Study

Preventing Spiritual Drift, Part II

 Read Preventing Spiritual Drift, Part I

Protecting our relationship with God is possible, but doing so requires purposeful attention to our spiritual life.

Last week, we looked at two ways to avoid drifting spiritually: turning to God in times of heartache and disappointment, and trusting Him to deliver us from temptation. This week, let’s look at two final steps that help put an end to spiritual drift.

A. To stay on course spiritually, surround yourself with godly friends. Because of the negative influence of the world around us, we must cultivate close friendships with strong believers.

1. Be careful when reaching out to godless people. To be effective witnesses, we must love non-Christians and spend time with them. But the Bible warns us against the influence of those who don’t respect God, His laws, or even natural consequences of poor behavior.

The Bible calls these people “fools.” Our culture considers this word synonymous with “idiot.” But the biblical concept refers not to intellectual ability, but to spiritual and moral aptitude (Prov. 18:2).

• What does Proverbs 13:20 say will happen to someone who is a companion to fools?
• Why do you think Proverbs 28:7 made a similar prediction about a “companion of gluttons”?

Allowing unrepentant people to become our best friends will almost certainly lead to spiritual drift. In contrast, a close, godly friend challenges us to be our best spiritually.

2. Purposefully befriend strong believers. Look for ways to connect on an intimate level with those who are passionate about their relationship with God.

• Read Hebrews 10:23-25. What are some ways believers can “stimulate one another to love and good deeds”?
• Name one specific action you could take to develop closer friendships with those you respect spiritually.
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 gives a picture that represents one advantage of having a faithful friend. Describe a time when you experienced this benefit.

Godly friends also give wise advice.

• What does Proverbs 15:22 say about how to plan successfully?
• What do you think the writer of Ecclesiastes meant when he said, “It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man than for one to listen to the song of fools”? (Eccl. 7:5).
• Paraphrase this verse, putting it into modern, everyday words. Keep in mind the biblical idea of a “fool.”
• Do you agree with the author of Ecclesiastes? Why or why not? Along with investing yourself in intimate friendships with believers, having a vision for your life will help you stay on course spiritually.

B. To avoid spiritual drift, set clear goals for yourself, spiritually and otherwise. In general, the more carefully you plan, the more likely you are to succeed (Prov. 21:5). And those who have specific, godly goals typically don’t have time to drift spiritually.

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” This doesn’t just mean praying for God to bless our plans, but discovering what His purposes are in the first place (Rom. 8:14).

1. Ask God for direction. How can you know the Lord’s wisdom regarding a specific goal? Listen for an internal “voice” that sounds much like your own thoughts but has a wisdom that isn’t your own. But make sure your goals are in line with scriptural wisdom.

• How many believers can hear Jesus’ voice, according to His words in John 10:27-28?
• Stop right now and listen to God’s plans for your life, using the steps above.

2. Look for scriptural goals. Almost any biblical command can become a goal. For instance, Jesus commanded us to share the gospel with others (Matt. 28:19-20). As you pray, you may realize that God wants you to reach out to a lonely person at work who doesn’t yet know the Lord.

Scripture abounds with other worthy goals that we can adopt as our own.

• Summarize Paul’s ultimate goal (Phil. 3:7-15).
• What did Paul tell Timothy the goal of their instruction was? (1 Tim. 1:5)

Fear of failing or making a mistake holds many people captive to the status quo. But the good news is that God will correct your path if you set off in the wrong direction (Prov. 16:9).

Closing: You can escape the pain caused by spiritual drift. Stay close to the Lord, deal quickly with sin, develop strong friendships, and pursue godly goals. As you do your part, you can be confident that God will do His.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the principles You’ve given in Your Word about how to stay strong spiritually. Reveal to us Your wonderful plans for our lives, so that we can keep our spiritual fervor and enjoy godly success. In Jesus’ name, Amen.