Headed in the Wrong Direction?

 When I first committed my life to Christ, I remember trying so hard not to “Backslide”. I wasn’t completely sure what this word meant, other than it somehow meant you no longer loved God. It seemed like everything I did was wrong. I spent my days repenting for every bad thought, act and negative behavior... it was exhausting. 

Backslide defined is to revert to a worse condition or retrogress (meaning to move backward). This occurs when a person who is on the journey of salvation "slides back" into their old life and habits and gradually turns away from God. Simply put, it is when Believers turn their backs on God. 

Hebrews 6:4-6 (The Message) “Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, once they’ve personally experienced the sheer goodness of God’s Word and the powers breaking in on us—if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can’t start over as if nothing happened. That’s impossible. Why, they’ve re-crucified Jesus! They’ve repudiated him in public!” 

Backsliding can happen to any believer who is not intentionally focused on God’s Kingdom agenda and permits unaddressed sin to operate in their life. According to Proverbs 14:14, the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. I can relate to this! For two years, I struggled in my walk with God... trying to not to break all the “church rules” and keep myself spiritual. Ironically, I found myself doing, saying and behaving in ways that contradicted my confession of Faith. I sincerely purposed in my heart to do the right thing; but there was a constant battle between my fleshly desires and the call to my spiritual destiny. 

I learned the way to be sustained in my Christian Faith is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. God has a divine purpose for each of us and has given us Holy Spirit as our Helper to guarantee success in fulfilling His plan. Through the Holy Spirit we receive grace to maintain intimate fellowship with God and power to abstain from all unrighteousness. 

Here are some signs that you may be backsliding: 

Prayer is not a priority 

Your worship experience is routine or minimal 

You don’t talk to or about God, like you used to 

Your behaviors are becoming more worldly 

Church and ministry activity are becoming a burden 

You have not witnessed to a lost soul in long time 

You willingly indulge in secret sins 

Your commitment to serving has decreased or ceased 

While backsliding doesn’t necessarily mean a loss of salvation, it most certainly is the path that will lead there. James 4:17 reads “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it”.