It is no fun to be in a slump. Perhaps you are in a slump in your personal life, or in your business. It is a pretty common place for us to be. Even churches get into a slump, usually in the summer. But there are times when the slump doesn’t go away as quickly as we think it should. What do you do then?
- Remember, slumps and slow-downs are not permanent. Life is a journey and this is just a snapshot, not a video.
- Rather than looking back where you were, look forward to where you are going. Taking a lesson from the stock market, when stock prices go down, smart investors buy. Then when the prices go up, they make a great profit. They do not mourn what they lost with the down turn, they see it as an opportunity for gain.
With our slump at Timber Ridge, take time to do the following:
- Take a deep breath spiritually. Keep your focus on what God is doing, not what everyone else is not doing.
- Rather than looking back and wishing things were like they were back then, remember the ways God has worked, and is still working in the church family. Count each little child as a blessing from God. Count each answered prayer as a gift of God’s grace. Count each Sunday gathering as an opportunity for you and God to connect, and to connect with God’s family (which is another gift to you).
- Invest! Invest! Invest! Invest in your relationship with Jesus, with your church family, and with the community. Pray more, read more, attend services and studies more, and witness to your neighbors. Attend a new class on Wednesday. Begin attending Sunday School on Sunday morning. Volunteer to teach a class or to participate in some mission ministry. It will reap great dividends for the Kingdom later.
Slumps are God’s way of getting us on the move. The more you invest your life in God’s kingdom, the quicker you get out of the slump. God is preparing us for greater service and for greater blessings. Thank you Jesus.