Why Do We Stop Following God? It Starts Right, Then Goes Wrong - Why?

Things are going well—and then, little by little, we stop following. Why?

WHAT WALKING WITH GOD LOOKS LIKE

How is your walk with God right now? I know, it sounds religious. Let me define walking with God.

Walking with God means listening to Him, “doing” as He says, reading His Word, praying to Him, loving others as you love yourself, forgiving, serving, being generous, and being other-centered instead of self-centered.

His ways are to benefit our lives.

Jesus basically summed it up in two commands: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” And, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31 NCV)

Isn’t that simple? So why don’t we do it? Why do we stray?

HOW EROSION BEGINS

I’m reading Jeremiah in my schedule right now, and today I read:

“I remember how faithful you were to me when you were a young nation. You loved me like a young bride. You followed me through the desert, a land that had never been planted… I brought you into a fertile land so you could eat its fruit and produce. But you came and made my land unclean; you made it a hateful place.” (Jeremiah 2:2, 7 NCV)

You have to understand the backstory. God is describing His relationship with Israel almost like a marriage. In the wilderness, they had to depend on Him for food, water, direction and protection—everything.

Then God brought them into the Promised Land. Life became better. They had land, crops, homes, possessions and security.

And strangely enough, the blessing became part of the problem.

They needed God desperately in the desert, but once they reached the fertile land, they began acting as though they didn’t need Him anymore. Eventually they chased idols and adopted the practices of the nations around them. The God who had rescued them, provided for them and brought them there was no longer the center of their lives.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE INSIDE

That still happens. Things haven’t changed. This is so easy to do.

Sometimes difficulty drives us toward God while comfort slowly pulls us away. When we’re hurting, scared, sick, broke, uncertain or desperate, we pray. But when life starts working again, we get busy. We become comfortable. We start trusting our money, relationships, abilities, success, possessions—or simply ourselves.

Usually we don’t wake up one morning and announce, “I’m done following God.” We drift.

That’s why Hebrews warns, “We must pay more careful attention… so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1 NCV)

And Jesus told the church at Ephesus, “You have left the love you had in the beginning.” (Revelation 2:4 NCV)

Think about that. They were still doing religious things. They hadn’t necessarily abandoned everything. But something had happened to their love. Something happened in their heart. They - you and me - started loving something else - more than God. Why?

REALITY

Maybe that’s the question worth asking ourselves: Have I left my love for God?

And at some point, there’s an even harder question: Did I really love Him—or did I mainly love what I thought He would do for me? Was it real? Is it real?

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15 NCV)

Obedience doesn’t purchase our salvation; Christ does that. And this doesn’t mean Christians never struggle, sin or wander. We do. But genuine love for Christ changes the direction of our lives. When we wander, something inside us keeps drawing us back to Him.

So I’m going to recommend that we all take an honest look at our life today.

Are you talking to God? Listening to Him through His Word? Forgiving? Serving? Giving? Loving people? Are you becoming more like Christ—or have you slowly become more consumed with yourself - and your new love?

HOW TO FIX IT

And if you realize you’ve drifted, here’s the good news: You know the way back.

You don’t have to wait until your life falls apart. You don’t have to wait until you desperately need Him again. Turn around. Talk to Him. Open His Word. Confess what needs confessing. Change what needs changing. Start following again. Just do it. Come home …

If you once walked closely with God, loved Him, trusted Him and followed Him—why stay away?

GOD, show me where I’ve drifted. Don’t let comfort, success, busyness, possessions—or myself—replace You. Restore my love for You and help me follow You today with my heart, soul, mind and strength. IJNIP amen ♥️

(She even works in the rain ♥️)