There is a plague that is attacking men everywhere. What plague am I talking about?
- Where we play at a surface level and we don't go deep.
- We don't go deep in our relationships.
- We're not going deep in the pursuit of knowledge.
- We're not going deep in the pursuit of the Lord's will for our life.
- We're not going deep when it comes to being honest with ourselves.
We Need to Stop Being Superficial
Being superficial can plague our spirituality. It means lacking depth and only dealing with surface aspects of faith. Being shallow or cursory, meaning, it's lacking in depth and it implies a concern that only deals with surface aspects or obvious features. Now, you know, and I know there's many different dimensions and areas of our life where we can be superficial.
The Main Ways We Can Tend To Be Superficial:
- With knowledge - Pursuing knowledge in a shallow, surface-level way without digging deeper into meanings and understandings. Lacking curiosity.
- With our reasoning - Forming opinions and philosophies without deeply examining our assumptions and asking deeper questions.
- In our emotions - Not being fully invested in our relationships and letting things stay on a surface level without going deeper to address root issues. Checking out emotionally.
- In our character - Living a double life, being hypocritical, and taking shortcuts with integrity. Not being who we truly are when no one is looking.
8 Practical Steps You Can Take to Avoid Living a Shallow Christian Life:
- Make Bible reading and study a priority. Read Scripture daily, not just occasionally. Study passages in depth to understand their full meaning and significance. Look up cross references and use commentaries and study Bibles. Take notes and reflect deeply on what you learn.
- Pray intentionally. Don't just say quick prayers but spend real time in prayer and communication with God. Be open about your struggles, seeking his wisdom and guidance. Listen for his voice too through Scripture, circumstances and inner peace.
- Meditate on Scripture. Choose a verse or short passage and read it slowly, thinking about what it means and how you can apply it to your life. Reflect on it throughout the day, letting it sink deep into your heart and mind.
- Worship genuinely from your heart, not just going through the motions. Focus on God's character and attributes as you sing and pray, truly thankful for all he has done.
- Ask deeper questions about your faith. Why do I believe what I believe? What are the implications for how I live? How does God view certain issues? Search for answers in sound theology and Christian books.
- Seek Godly wisdom and discernment. Ask God to give you insight into difficult decisions and perspectives beyond the surface level. Study the perspectives of faithful Christians who have wrestled with the deeper things of God.
- Be honest with yourself and God about areas of your life that are shallow. Confess and repent of superficial attitudes and behaviors. Ask for his help in transforming those areas and cultivating depth.
- Serve others from a place of humility, remembering your own need for God's grace. Don't just provide resources but invest your life into helping people grow spiritually deeper.
These practical steps will help you avoid superficial spirituality and develop a closer, deeper walk with God!
Feel free to share this post with any Christian men seeking to truly raise the standard in their spiritual lives, or listen to the entire episode of Raising The Standard below where we covered this in more depth.
