How to Follow When we Feel Nothing

It’s hard to know what to do when you feel bla. It can be easy to strong-arm or to stop trusting when we don’t get what we want. The symptoms we need to look for are as follows.

Do I have unrepentant sin?
Have I been to Confession lately?
How is my prayer life?
Am I coming down with a cold?
Did I focus too much on what I put in my stomach?
Am I working on something new that might be making me nervous?
Did I make any mistakes I feel bad about?

Once we have examined our hearts, our hearts will feel better because we are trying to clear them out. This is collecting data to be aware of. It is better to be informed than blind. If we have found that none of the above are in our hearts, then it is God who is allowing us dryness to grow. This is an invitation to show Him we will be faithful to our post and still show up. He asks us to follow Him through thick and thin. Sometimes He calls us to the wilderness to just draw close to Him and for learning purposes. He himself went to the desert before key moments in His ministry, like when he chose His twelve apostles or after teaching a huge crowd and healing them, and when He was tired after long days of ministry. We can use these opportunities to be close to Jesus and to wait for Him to fulfill His promises to us. He will not leave us alone. These opportunities are a chance for us to show God how we will be faithful even without the reassurance of consolation.

God treats us with gentleness and mercy and asks us to do the same to our brothers and sisters and those under our charge. Our restoration relies on our ability to try and be open to the action of the Holy Spirit. It is important to be gentle to ourselves as it takes time to grow. Feelings are just data to show us a deeper reality. This is not something to fear as these can be opportunities to have God carry us to new heights of success. Dryness is a sign of God’s favor and His trust in our ability to carry the cross. Let me give you three tips for success when you find yourself in the desert and not sure where you should turn next.

Keep to your daily prayer times and tasks and don’t stop just because you feel badly or don’t know what to do
Reach out in service to a friend or someone a little worse off then yourself
Wait patiently for the Lord to give you a word of direction and encouragement because He will.

We just have to be patient and watchful.Take a peak at Galatians 5:22-6:10. In due season we will bear fruit. The key is faith and trust. We will reap what we sow. In the moment, we will have trials but long-term after practice we will find ourselves with peaceful fruit. Hebrews 12:4-15. He disciplines those whom He loves and it is for discipline that we endure. It is painful but later yields fruit. We have to train just like in exercise. Each opportunity of dryness is like a stepping stone to greater heights of holiness and trust and growth. How does one endure? Practice. Doing the best we can with what resources we have. In time, God will show us His purposes and we will know why He allowed these times of dryness. This is not our home but heaven is. We are pilgrims here below and live for eternity where there will be no more tears and trials. It is preparation for the great things to come.

Sometimes dryness is due to our own choices sometimes it is due to others choices and sometimes it can be a physical or psychological reason. I don’t mean to lessen the pain or shame you I am just trying to help give you the first step. Journaling is helpful because you can literally see what has been threading together. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help.