If Your Walk With God Has Felt Off Lately, It’s Time to Reset

Lord knows life throws distractions at us. And it's so easy to let all these distractions pull us away from what matters most, sitting at the feet of Jesus.

When you think about it, most of the time, it doesn't happen intentionally. Life just gets busy, things pop up, people need us, we have responsibilities, and before we know it, time with God has slowly moved further down the list.

That's why I love the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. Martha wasn't off doing something terrible. She was serving and taking care of what needed to be done. 

But while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him, Martha had become so consumed with everything else, that she was missing what mattered most.

And I love how Jesus calls her out: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things.”

Basically you are too distracted SIS!

When Jesus calls your name twice, you know you've gone a little too far.

And sometimes, that's exactly where we find ourselves. In fact, I can relate to Martha a lot in this situation. 

We haven't stopped loving God, we haven't decided to walk away from Him but we've just allowed life to take our attention away from the one thing we need most.

When that happens, it's time for a reset.

 

What Is a Spiritual Reset?

Whenever I think of a spiritual reset, I think of James 4:8: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

Because usually, when we feel like we need a spiritual reset, we've come to a point where we haven't been drawing close to God. He feels far away, we feel spiritually dry, prayer doesn't come as easily, and somewhere along the way, we've lost our focus.

And sometimes what we need to do is simply pause and draw near again.

In its simplest form, that's what I believe a spiritual reset is. It's recognising that your focus has shifted and you need to intentionally turn your attention back to God. It's not about starting your relationship with God all over again, and it's never about trying to manufacture some big spiritual moment. 

Think of it as returning to what you already know to do; spending time with the Father in prayer, getting back into His Word, making space to hear from Him and where you've allowed other things to take priority, putting Jesus back at the centre.

I like to think of it as realignment.

Life has a way of getting things out of order. Things that were supposed to sit underneath our relationship with God slowly start competing with it.

A spiritual reset is an opportunity to put things back in their proper place, with Jesus first and everything else ordered around Him.

The Bible may not use the words “spiritual reset,” but we see this invitation throughout Scripture: to return, to repent, to remember, to renew our minds and to draw near to God again.

So if you've been wondering how to reset your spiritual life, don't begin by thinking you need to do more or try harder. Start by drawing near.

God's invitation is still there: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

 

Sometimes You Haven't Walked Away From God. You've Just Been Distracted.

We don't wake up one morning and decide, I'm not prioritising God anymore…… Well, I would hope not.

In most cases, other things have gradually taken our attention. So it's not necessarily that you've walked away from God and now you're deciding to have a reset. Sometimes you've simply become so distracted.

And Martha and Mary give us the perfect example of this in the New Testament.

Martha hadn't rejected Jesus. She was literally in the house with Him. She loved Him and she was serving Him. But the Bible tells us that she was distracted.

And that's the thing about distractions, they don't always look bad.

Martha was serving. For us, it might be work, raising our children, marriage, ministry, building a business, looking after our homes or simply trying to keep up with everything life requires of us. These are not necessarily bad things. Many of them are things God has actually entrusted to us.

But even good things can become distracting things when they begin to take the attention that belongs to God.

Jesus tells Martha that she is worried and troubled about many things, but only one thing is necessary.

Maybe that's the question we need to ask ourselves when our walk with God starts to feel off: What has my attention right now?

Sometimes we don't need something new. We just need to recognise what's been distracting us and turn our attention back.

 

God Hasn't Moved Away From You

When our walk with God starts to feel off, it's easy to think that God has somehow become distant. But God hasn't moved. He is ever present and ever constant. As believers, His Spirit dwells within us. He doesn't leave because we've been distracted, inconsistent or haven't spent as much time with Him as we know we should. What has changed isn't His presence, but often our attention.

As we turn our attention back to Him through prayer, His Word and fellowship, we're not bringing back a God who disappeared. We're turning our hearts and minds back towards the God who has been present all along. God hasn't gone anywhere. Sometimes, we just need to turn our attention back towards Him.

 

Don't Let Guilt Keep You Where Distraction Took You

One thing I hear a lot from people who have drifted or haven't been consistent in their walk with God is the guilt that comes with it. And I know that feeling too. In moments when I haven't been doing what I know I should be doing, the guilt can hit hard. But the problem is, the more we entertain that guilt, the more it can keep us away from the very place we need to go, back to Christ.

Sometimes we convince ourselves that sitting in guilt somehow proves how sorry we are. But guilt isn't repentance. Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Conviction should lead us back to God, not cause us to hide from Him. 

And Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “approach God's throne of grace with confidence.” So when you know you haven't been faithful, that's not the time to sit in guilt and allow yourself to drift even further. That's the time to come boldly to the throne of grace. 

Father, I've fallen short, I've allowed myself to become distracted but I'm coming back. Don't let guilt keep you where distraction took you. Let conviction lead you back to God.

 

How to Reset Your Spiritual Life and Get Back on Track With God

Okay, so now you've come to the point where you're saying, I'm ready. I'm ready to come back. I'm ready to approach the throne of grace boldly and with confidence. But where do I start? What do I actually do?

I'm here to tell you, it's simple, simple as one plus one. There's nothing complicated about coming back to the feet of Jesus. In fact, sometimes we make returning to God much harder than it needs to be.

1. 1. Start by returning to God: Start by acknowledging where you are in your spiritual walk.. I've become distracted and I need to make some changes. There's power in being honest about where you are. Once you acknowledge that something needs to change, you're in a position to actually make that change.

      So, talk to God honestly about where you've been. Acknowledge where you've allowed other things to take your attention and make the decision to turn your focus back towards Him.

   2. Put God's Word back at the centre: If you want to get back on track with God, you've got to intentionally make room for His Word again.

      Paul says in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection.” And there is a difference between knowing of God and growing in your personal knowledge of Him. Scripture is one of the primary ways God has given us to know who He is, what He has said and how He calls us to live.

      So open your Bible. It doesn't need to begin with an hour long Bible study every morning. Maybe you start with ten minutes. The point is to intentionally make time for the Word and begin rebuilding that desire to know God more.

      Don't wait until you magically find the time. Decide where the Word belongs in your day and make room for it.

   3. Don't just read the Word, you’ve got to respond to it: Getting back into your Bible is important, but don't stop at reading it. James 1:22 tells us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

      There's no point gaining biblical knowledge if we never allow that knowledge to impact the way we live. God's Word will challenge some behaviours and it will challenge the way we think. And that's the point.

      We are being transformed into the image of Christ, and part of that transformation is allowing the Word to shape us.

      So when you read Scripture, ask yourself: What is God showing me here? What needs to change? What do I need to obey? How should this truth affect the way I live today?

   4.  

      Rebuild simple actions that keep you rooted: Finally, look at your life and ask yourself what rhythms help you remain rooted in God; Prayer, bible study, fellowship, church, worship. These things shouldn't just be fitted into whatever space is left after everything else has had your attention.

      Build your life around them. If you know you're more consistent with Bible study first thing in the morning, protect that time. If evenings work better for you, build it into your evening. The point isn't that everybody needs the same routine. The point is to intentionally create rhythms that continually bring your attention back to God.

      There will still be many things requiring your attention. But rather than allowing your relationship with God to be shaped around everything else, begin shaping your life around the rhythms that keep you close to Him.

 

Your Spiritual Reset Can Start Today

If there's one thing I want you to leave with, it's this: God is not far away from you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and you don't have to allow guilt or shame to keep you from coming back to Him.

You can literally pause today, acknowledge where you are and get back to doing what you know to do. It's that simple. Don't wait until you feel close to God again before you start seeking Him. Start with what you know is right and let your feelings catch up. 

And if you're ready to take that first step, our 7 Day Faith Reset can help you put that reset into practice. Over seven days, we'll help you intentionally bring your attention back to God and look at how His Word can begin shaping different areas of your everyday life, from your thoughts and routines to your home, habits and purpose.

Because getting back on track with God isn't only about restarting your quiet time. It's about putting Him back at the centre and allowing His Word to shape the way you live.