This article was first published by The Gospel Coalition, August 1, 2024.
“What do you mean this feeling won’t last forever?”
I was in shock as I sat across from my mentor. A sophomore in college, I’d stopped feeling God’s presence in my soul. The spiritual bliss I once knew was now an infrequent occurrence, and I couldn’t take it anymore. So I sat across from a wise man and asked, “Can I have as much of God’s presence as I want?” I waited for him to say yes and start showing me how to maintain that burning feeling. A curt but kind no was his only response. I didn’t realize it for some time, but I was spiritually sick.
What does it mean to be spiritually healthy? What does it mean to be spiritually sick? Without answers to these questions, Christians are hard-pressed to accurately assess their spiritual condition and respond appropriately. If we aspire to live balanced and mature lives before God, we must first understand what spiritual health looks like and be aware of the various pathologies that can attack the spiritual life.
