Slow Fade

Do you ever feel strange when God convicts you about something that you used to have strong convictions about, but somewhere along the way... you just lost those convictions? That's happened to me a lot lately. Certain things that I used to feel really passionately about just don't seem as important to me anymore. Let me give you a specific example. Lately, I've been really, really bad about being purposeful about my regular devotion time with the Lord. I do my daily devotions when I'm overly tired or distracted. As if this wasn't bad enough, my devotions are often short and I don't truly challenge myself to be more Christ-like; I just assume that opening my Bible and saying that I did my devotions that will be 'good enough.' I've been going through the motions.

Why do certain convictions just... disappear like that? "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." (Matthew 24:12, NIV)

We live in a wicked culture. The world urges us to pursue everything but God: wealth, happiness, fame, boy/girl friends, popularity, anything that makes us 'feel' good. We live in a day and age where our world is much like Ephesus. It's hard to have not even a hint of immorality... because our world is so immoral and it feels like we're being pulled away from God. And sometimes we give in to the world's lies; one seemingly little conviction at a time. I was listening to the song "Slow Fade" last night. It went something like this:

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away...
It's a slow fade when black and white turn to gray...
People never crumble in a day.

Could it be that failing to pursue Christ passionately is something that happens gradually, not because of one drastic choice; but because of a lot of smaller compromises? Because you allow yourself some gray areas where you let go of convictions instead of drawing a firm line between right and wrong?

I can't think of any better way to say it then what John Owen said: "Cease not a day from this work; be killing sin, or it will be killing you." If I don't fight sin with every ounce of my being every moment of my life, then Satan wins. Fighting sin is the hardest struggle in the history of the world. Satan doesn't take breaks; but thankfully God's grace doesn't take breaks either! If Christ is King of your life; not just part of your semi-regular routine, then fight sin. Don't allow little compromises overtake your life. Stand up. Fight the good fight. Kill sin.

Don't give sin a second glance, but keep your gaze fixed on Christ!