As we read Hebrews 10:25 – “ Let us not fail to meet as a church, according to the custom of some, but let us encourage each other, especially when you see that Day ” – we are urged to reflect on the moment when we raise our fatigued hands to accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. We are in love, living the first love.
It is exactly at this moment that we actively participate in all cults, seek the presence of God, experience his miracles and live the extraordinary. We long to be present in the Father’s house, cultivating a life of prayer and dedication to God and his works, integrating the reading of the Word in our daily lives and conviviality.
However, we are reminded that we should not let ourselves be distracted, as distractions arise to get us out of the way, out of that genuine love. Frequently, routine, work, and family responsibilities consume us in such a way that we inadvertently find ourselves in situations similar to the prophet Elijah in the cave.
And in this moment of tiredness and tasks, we end up saying: “Today I will not go to the service, I will go to the next”, and the next we end up saying the same thing, to the point that we no longer thirst to seek God. We no longer speak to Him, the church is no longer needed. At that moment, we look at who we were when we were living first love and who we became. We no longer recognize our identity. The following question arises: how to overcome spiritual discouragement or total discouragement? How do we return to our first love?
Lack of Thirst and spiritual cooling
According to sources from Tiradentes University, 70% of the human body is made up of water. Doctors recommend that a person take 2 liters of water per day, as lack of water can trigger various problems in body functioning. Here we can reflect that numerous people, such as, because they do not feel thirsty, they end up impairing the functioning of the kidneys and other parts of the body.
Although we have access to water whether it is in the refrigerator or a drinking fountain, we are getting sick, because what we lack is thirst. We can use this example for our spiritual life: Jesus is the water of life. Remember when He meets the woman of Samaria and says something tremendous: “But whoever drinks of the water I give him will never thirst, for the water I give him will become in him a spring of water springing up unto eternal life” (John 4:14).
Water is at our disposal, and we have access to the water of life through prayer, the constant search for presence, and especially when we gather as a church, as stated in Hebrews 10:25. At some point, distractions cause us to lose our thirst for the things of the kingdom, and this lack of thirst eventually makes us sick and spiritually cold.
Seeking spiritual healing with the help of the church
Seeking help is very important in the Christian journey. We should never be ashamed to ask for help when we find ourselves weak or sick spiritually speaking. Remember that great is not the proud, but rather the one who has the humility to ask for help. Overcoming spiritual cooling requires that the community of faith be attentive. I share that there are sheep who will give signs that they are not well, and each one is responsible for helping. The Bible reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 12:20-22: “So, then, there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say by the hand: I have no need of thee; nor yet head to toe: I have no need of thee. Before, the body members that appear to be the weakest are needed.”
Imagine the church as a human body. If a brother is sick, and that illness is equivalent to the little finger of the broken right hand, will only the little finger feel that pain, or will the body as a whole be in a feeling of discomfort?
Surely, you answered that the whole body will feel. Here comes the role of church leadership as the head and the members who are responsible for conducting to the doctor. What I want to exemplify is that leadership is the head, and members are the membership that makes it up. Everyone is responsible for helping this brother or sister get back on their feet. All are important to the work of God and its proper functioning. See that the problem was in the little finger of the hand, but other members of the body were important so that this diseased part of the body was conducted to the doctor. Certainly, no one wants to lose a member of his body, and such a thought should be the same with the work of Christ.
No matter the office, whether it is a new convert or a high leadership; our calling is to care for, treat and uplift the one in need, so that together we can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
May we look at our brother in the same way as a shepherd cares for his flock of sheep, observing their behaviors, identifying the one who is in need of care, and leading you through green pastures and calm waters.
How to overcome discouragement and return to first love?
To overcome discouragement, discouragement is necessary to recognize, because it is impossible to overcome spiritual cooling without recognition. Psalms 80 is a marvelous psalm, for at the same time the psalmist declares: Turn us back, O God, and make thy face shine, and we shall be saved. Psalms 80:3 he also recognizes the greatness and sovereignty of God as well as his deeds. This should be our prayer and it implies asking God so that we can return to the first love, we should follow the advice that was given to the church of Ephesus: Remember therefore whence thou fellest, and repent, and do the first works; when not, I will come to thee soon, and will take thy candlestick out of its place, if you don’t regret it. Revelation 2:5
In times of spiritual discouragement we must retrace our course, look back and understand what we did wrong, to get discouraged and let go of the first works. We must seek sincere repentance, a return to genuine spiritual practices, and the ongoing search for the divine presence can revive the flame that once burned intensely. We need to let ourselves be treated and we need to treat ourselves, because we must also seek God in our particular.
Spiritual cooling symptoms
Spiritual cooling is a phenomenon that can manifest itself in various ways, impacting the deep connection between the human being and his communion with God. In light of the sacred scriptures, we can reflect on the symptoms of this spiritual cooling and how they may affect the journey of faith.
In biblical teachings, we find references to the importance of maintaining spiritual fervor, guarding the heart against influences that can cool the inner flame. The apostle Paul, in his epistles, warns of the dangers of straying from the true faith and falling into spiritual lethargy 2 Timothy 4:3-4, he writes: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itchy ears, they will heap up for themselves doctors according to their own lusts; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, back to fables.”
As we have said in previous texts, spiritual cooling can manifest itself in subtle ways, such as neglect of daily spiritual practices, lack of enthusiasm in seeking divine knowledge and coldness in interpersonal relationships within the faith community. Spiritual hopelessness and apathy can slowly settle in, obscuring the light of divine truth that once illuminated the heart of the believer. Another obvious symptom of spiritual cooling is the loss of the sense of purpose and the search for satisfaction in temporal and worldly sources. The unbridled pursuit of earthly pleasures and the neglect of eternal truths can contribute to the individual’s detachment from his spiritual journey.
Conclusion:
Given the above in the biblical passages and the reflections on spiritual cooling, we realize that the journey of faith is permeated by constant challenges. The exhortation in Hebrews 10:25 warns us of the importance of not neglecting fellowship and mutual encouragement, especially in times of spiritual discouragement.
The analogy of physical thirst with spiritual thirst underscores the constant need to seek the source of living water that is Jesus Christ. The text emphasizes that water is at our disposal, but we often lose our thirst, resulting in spiritual sickness. The call to the church as a body that cares for its members reflects the collective responsibility to help each other overcome periods of discouragement.
Spiritual healing is presented as a joint effort, where humility in asking for help is key. Leadership and members play crucial roles in the restoration process, acting as instruments in the hands of God to lead those who are weakened back to spiritual fullness.
The question of how to overcome spiritual discouragement leads us to a path of recognition, repentance, and return to first works. Psalm 80 is cited as an eloquent expression of this recognition and supplication for restoration. The exhortation in Revelation 2:5 underscores the importance of remembering where we fell and repent, keeping the flame of first love alive.
Finally, the description of the symptoms of spiritual cooling warns of the need to watch against the influences that can extinguish the inner flame. The reference to Paul’s warnings in 2 Timothy highlights the importance of staying true to sound doctrine and resisting the temptations that lead to spiritual lethargy.
Thus, when we consider the set of these reflections, we are inspired to constantly seek spiritual renewal, collaboration in the community of faith and the maintenance of the initial fervor, that the journey of faith may be marked by perseverance and continual growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
