Why You’re Not Growing Spiritually
Even though you're doing everything you were taught to do.
Hi, I’m Pastor Chris, and I write this newsletter. If you’re interested in growing spiritually, you can join me by subscribing. If my articles are helping you, please consider a paid subscription or a one-time gift.
The Ache You Can’t Shake
Let me guess. You’re doing the things. Showing up to church. Opening the Bible. Bowing your head when someone says “Let’s pray.”
But inside? Dry. Disconnected. Like you’re performing a version of faith that once felt real, but now feels like a mask you keep putting on. The one that hides who you are underneath.
You don’t want more rules. You want God. But you’re not sure how to get there anymore.
Friend, hear me: You’re not faithless. You’re famished. And that hunger is holy.
Why the Routine Isn’t Enough Anymore
You were taught how to do church. But no one showed you how to be with God.
Somewhere along the way, intimacy got traded for obligation. Now your spiritual life feels like a treadmill you can’t get off. Moving, but going nowhere.
But here’s the truth: God doesn’t want your performance. He wants your presence.
And you can’t schedule your way into intimacy. You have to get hungry enough to drop the script and try something new.
Even Moses Wanted More
This isn’t just a modern problem. Moses saw miracles. He heard God’s voice. He walked with Him in power.
And still he said, “Show me Your glory.” (Exodus 33:18)
Because routines (even miraculous ones) aren’t the same as a relationship.
When the Pharisees Missed It Completely
Jesus looked straight at the most disciplined, biblically-literate people of His day and said:
"You search the scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." (John 5:39-40)
They knew the Word, but they missed the Word made flesh standing right in front of them.
Spiritual growth isn’t about collecting knowledge. It’s about encountering Jesus.
When Martha Chose Service Over Presence
In Luke 10, Martha is doing everything right: serving Jesus, managing the house, and being responsible. But Mary? Mary just sat at His feet.
And Jesus said:
"Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)
Sometimes the biggest threat to spiritual growth is spiritual busyness.
So What Do You Do When You’re Starving for God?
Let’s get honest. If you want real intimacy with God, it’s going to cost you your comfort. Here’s where to begin:
1. Quit pretending
Don’t fake closeness with God. He’s not impressed by masks, and He already sees your heart. So tell Him the truth. Say it out loud: “God, I’m doing the things, but I feel disconnected. I want you, not just another checklist.” That moment of honesty is where transformation begins.
2. Get quiet enough to hear Him
Your life is loud. And the volume won’t turn down on its own. Intimacy with God requires stillness; real, uncomfortable stillness. So unplug. Turn off the noise. Set your alarm. Wake up early. Sit before Him and say, “Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”
3. Trade formulas for presence
God doesn’t show up because you followed the right script. He shows up because you showed up. So instead of trying to “do devotionals right,” try just being with Him. Light a candle. Read one verse. Sit in silence. Let him meet you in the quiet without needing to feel productive.
4. Worship like your life depends on it
Because it does. Not just with music, but with your posture, your surrender, your focus. Worship in your car. In your kitchen. On your knees. You don’t need a band, you just need a heart willing to tell God the truth about His worth.
5. Let your hunger drive you
That ache you feel? It’s not a sign of failure, it’s a signal. Hunger is holy. Don’t ignore it. Follow it. Let it pull you deeper. Let it change your schedule. Let it wreck your routine. Because if you chase God with that hunger, you won’t come up empty.
The Good News: God Wants You Closer
Jesus didn’t die so you could have a once-a-week appointment with God.
He died to bring you home.
To walk with you. Talk with you. Sit with you.
The invitation still stands: “Come to Me…” (Matthew 11:28)
Not come to a feeling. Not come to a checklist. Come to Him.
Before You Scroll Away…
If this hit a nerve, don’t keep scrolling. Get real with God today. And share this with someone who’s been going through the motions but dying on the inside.
I think what Pastor Chris is naming here is something I’ve seen often: people worn down not by faith, but by the infrastructure built around it. Church services, Bible studies, volunteer asks, small groups, retreats—all well-intentioned, but sometimes so stacked that they crowd out the very encounter with God they’re supposed to foster.
What if growth looks more like subtraction than addition? Less doing for God, more being with Him. Stillness. Prayer. Silence. Scripture read slowly rather than studied academically. The ache we feel might not mean we’re doing something wrong—it might mean we’re finally ready to let go of the scaffolding and meet God in the quiet.
Too many churches confuse busyness with discipleship. But you don’t have to be busy to be close. Sometimes, to grow, you have to stop showing up for church and start showing up to God.
This is what I’ve been feeling lately. I needed to read this today. Thank you