Four Causes of Spiritual Dullness and how to Fix it-
Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord- 1st Peter 2:2-3 NASB
I love the book of Hebrews.
It’s a beautifully written book that has never failed to challenge me. A recent reread has got me pondering all sorts of issues but mostly the whole notion of spiritual dullness.
Many scholars believe the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish priests who became obedient to the teachings of Jesus not long after he ascended into heaven (Acts 6:7). Whoever they were, the original readers started their spiritual journey with an enthusiastic passion for Jesus (Hebrews 10:32-35). However, at the time of the letter’s writing their spiritual enthusiasm had cooled to the point the writer felt compelled to say this about them:
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.For though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil- Hebrews 5:11-14 NASB
Yikes.
It’s a brutally harsh assessment of their spiritual state, and it was all true. The Hebrew Christians who had begun their faith journey with so much promise and potential had somehow become spiritually feeble and dull. The writer of Hebrews desperately wanted them to understand they were in a spiritually precarious position. The whole letter is a long exhortation begging them to get back on track spiritually before they lose their desire to do so altogether.
So, what exactly causes spiritual dullness to set in?
Like most spiritual problems dullness is much easier to prevent than to fix. The letter to the Hebrews would never have made it into the New Testament if the warnings in it were not intended for all followers of Jesus in all times (John 17:17, Acts 17:11, 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12-13). The writer of Hebrews is clear, spiritual maturity is the antidote to spiritual dullness. However, maturity is not a given, it is something we must go after (Hebrews 2:1, Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 5:11-14, Hebrews 6:9-12). Spiritual dullness does not happen in a vacuum; there are predictable events that lead us to a state of dullness. Some of those are:
Too much exposure to worldliness-
Worldliness is best defined as being more devoted to the things of this world and its pleasures than to the things of God. God has nothing positive to say about worldliness (2nd Timothy 4:10, 1st John 2:15) and it’s not because He’s a spoilsport who hates fun. God is opposed to worldliness because He knows that the desires we feed grow. If we feed ourselves worldly pleasures they will grow into (best case scenario) spiritual dullness and (worst case scenario) a voracious craving for sin. However, if we limit our exposure to worldly entertainment and pastimes our desire for God and personal holiness will grow (Philippians 4:8-9, 1st Corinthians 9:24-27, 2nd Timothy 2:16).
Sin-
This is kind of a no brainer, nonetheless it’s a no brainer that bears repeating. Nothing dulls a Christian more spiritually than sin and disobedience (Isaiah 59:2). Anytime we choose to indulge ourselves in something God has deemed wrong it becomes a little more difficult to hear the voice of God. Therefore, it is imperative we examine our lives often to make sure we are as free from both intentional and unintentional sin as humanly possible (Hebrews 12:1-12, 2nd Corinthians 13:5, 1st Peter 2:24, Hebrews 12:14).
Unresolved spiritual confusion-
The recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were intimately familiar with trials, trouble and oppression (Hebrews 10:32-34). The Hebrew Christians experienced suffering from every side. The Jews (their own people) despised them for embracing Jesus, the Roman government persecuted them for the same reason. As a result, they found themselves in constant danger and subject to endless abuse. As a result of their trials, they experienced a kind of spiritual confusion that often accompanies painful spiritual experiences we do not find a way to process. The only way to process these kinds of experiences is through prayer with the knowledge that: A) this world is not our home; we do not fit in here and we never will (Hebrews 11:13-15). B) We are living in Satan’s territory, and He loves nothing more than to discourage us and kick us when we are down (Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2ndTimothy 3:12, Revelation 2:9-11). And C) God sees EVERYTHING and He has something uniquely beautiful planned in eternity for those who suffer here on earth because they were faithful to Jesus (1st Peter 3;12, Revelation 3:8-13, Isaiah 43:2-4). If we do not keep these truths firmly in mind the enemy will use our suffering and confusion to make us bitter and useless to God (Hebrews 12:15).
And finally, spiritual maturity versus dullness all comes down to:
The level of attention we pay to our spiritual life–
Spiritual practices such as church attendance, prayer and Bible reading help us keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 2:1, 1st Timothy 4:16, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18). Anytime we take our eyes off Jesus and the prize of eternity we risk becoming spiritually dull. Making the choice to fix our focus on Jesus daily is a spiritual gamechanger (Hebrews 12:1-3). Focusing our attention on Jesus and the sacrifice He made on our behalf vanquishes spiritual dullness and gives us the spiritual power we need to stand firm no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in.
