Spiritually Lost? Here’s What You Can Do Right Now
Feeling spiritually numb?
No matter how deep our faith is, it is normal to go through periods of time when we feel spiritually lost. Even if we have felt God strongly in moments, there are other times when we feel a little numb—sometimes even for months on end. Here are some fresh perspectives and ways to cope and revive:
Don’t worry, it’s natural.
The experience of spiritual numbness is perfectly natural. It is a side effect of being human. C.S. Lewis, in Screwtape Letters, calls this occurrence the Law of Undulation:
“While human spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation…[Man’s] interest in his work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down.”
Not only is it natural, it’s a good thing!
To Lewis, the low points of life are an opportunity, rather than a curse. He argues that God “relies on the [low points] even more than on the peaks; some of His special favourites have gone through longer and deeper [lows] than anyone else.” This is because God wants us to be the co-creators in our lives, and recognize our own power in feeding our spirit. We are responsible to keep up our practice of faith, even when there seems to be no point. The Divine Principle tells us that if we want to move from a realm of passive living into the realm of ownership, we must exercise our human responsibility. In doing so, we can “inherit the creative nature of God, participate in God’s great work of creation and become worthy to rule over the creation as creators in our own right, just as God governs over us as the creator.”
Keep on Keeping on.
C.S. Lewis and the Divine Principle are on the same track. Lewis tells us that “it is during such [low] periods, much more than during the peak periods, that [man grows] into the sort of creature [God] wants [him] to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best,” and nothing makes him prouder than, “when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do [God’s] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
If this is the case, our best bet is to continue with our faith practices, even if we aren’t feeling them. Oftentimes a feeling of numbness comes when we are dissatisfied with ourselves, so we should start making habits that counteract that. Creating healthy habits will help us trust ourselves, making us proud of what we’re accomplishing. Doing little things every day like reflecting and praying and studying scripture—or even exercising—making a plan and sticking to it will make us feel better. Plus, in the words of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.”
Do the Dishes, Fold the Laundry.
If you’re in a spiritual funk, try to get out of your own head. Stop worrying so much, and go do something for somebody else. Chances are, you’ll feel better. Father Moon, founder of the Unification faith, says that “the essence of love is such that when you live for the sake of others, your love becomes greater, but when you want people to live for you, your love diminishes little by little.” As your love becomes greater, the closer you’ll feel to God, and the less spiritually lost you will feel.
Switch Things up.
Take a nap, clear your mind. Let your head and your heart refresh itself. Do things you enjoy, go on a micro-adventure and find God in nature. Do things that make your life exciting to remind yourself of why you’re grateful. Then thank God.
What are some practices you use to snap out of your spiritual funk? Tell us in your comments below!