The tragedy of watching life on a loop

Sometimes it feels as if life is merely a repeating series of cycles, but then I guess if you've read Ecclesiastes you'd expect that to be the case.  One of the great frustrations is watching people repeat the mistakes of others without recognising that they are doing so.

I guess the area where this most commonly happens is in a gradual drift.  First of all you begin missing a few things because of work commitments or family things.  Soon with a promotion or change of hours you find you "can't" make home group.  Then something happens and you miss a few Sundays.  But when people raise concerns you reassure them that you are fine, that your personal relationship with God is strong.  But as the pattern continues and you drift out to the fringe of church, increasingly giving up serving others or investing in your church family, you gradually begin to feel not part of things and your heart begins to cool towards God.

The tragedy is not just that this happens but that the bible so often warns us against it.  In the parable of the Sower we see one seed that grows up and looks good initially before getting choked by the cares and worries of this life.  Or we read in Timothy of Demas who has deserted the work of the gospel because he loved this world.  Or we read the book of Hebrews, a whole book inspired by the Spirit filled author, addressing this issue of gradual drift and the dangers inherent in it.  And yet whenever I have spoken as pastor to someone about this issue they conclude that that isn't them, that somehow they are immune from that danger.  But all the while I am speaking to them I am aware of that danger in me, that any of us can find our devotion to Jesus choked and challenged and ultimately overturned.

Watching this process happening and all your warnings being ignored is painful and frustrating.  You know what is coming but feel powerless to stop it, and you pray God would warm their heart before it is too late, as they ignore the loving outstretched arms of the church family towards them.

It's partly a result of our over individualised culture.  Maybe the church is partially to blame too as we teach people about their 'personal relationship with God' when we should be emphasising our corporate relationship with God.  Believers need each other.  The moment we start to think we don't need our church family and that they don't need us we have laid the theological foundation for drifting and spiritual shipwreck.