I’ve been watching one of the pine trees in our yard die. It’s about 15 inches in diameter, standing about 40 or 50 feet tall, and makes a great looking tree in a yard that’s surrounded by flat pasture – except that it is dying. Slowly, the needles are turning brown and falling off, more each day. I don’t know what’s wrong. Nothing in its environment has changed this year. No disturbance of the ground around it. But it’s dying, and it doesn’t seem that there is anything I can do but watch.
I’m hopeful that something will change, that it will revive, survive. But right now, it’s not looking good.
Today, as I mowed the grass, it occurred to me that maybe that’s how it is when God watches a Christian grow weaker, headed toward spiritual death. Not much fruit any more, no longer actively making progress, only failing, withering, dying. Like our tree, though it is a feeble illustration at best, the declining disciple shows the outward signs of the inner demise, and there is nothing for God to do, but watch and grieve.
You see, God has done all that is within His will to keep us all alive. He’s laid out the steps to follow, He paid the price of redemption with His Son’s blood. He’s given us His word so that we might hide it in our hearts and not sin. He brought the church forth to strengthen and nourish us, He’s given us one another for support and encouragement. But He will not force us to survive.
It may very well be that your Christianity isn’t as alive as it needs to be. Maybe the turmoil of trying to survive a pandemic has gotten to you. Maybe the world with its convoluted value system has been chipping away at your faith. Maybe you haven’t taken advantage of all the resources that have been made available to help us all try to stay close. Maybe you’ve only been drifting away.
You don’t have to die, spiritually. Jesus has seen to that, and the Father wants you back. He’s watching from Heaven’s driveway, longing for your return. Don’t disappoint Him. Come back while there is still time. Your brothers and sisters want you back. They’ve been praying that you’ll return. Come, while you still can.