7 Warning Signs You are Drifting from God

by Stephen Altrogge

Big sin is always the sum of a thousand tiny choices.

Most Christians don’t suddenly fall into terrible sin. A guy doesn’t simply wake up one day and say to himself, “Boy, today is a great day to start a raging heroin habit,” or “You know what, I’m in the mood to commit adultery today.” That’s not how it happens.

Big sin is always the sum of a thousand tiny choices.

That’s why the author of Hebrews says:

Therefore, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)

One of our greatest temptations as Christians is simply to drift away from Christ. We’re not actively running away, just slowly drifting along with the lazy, warm, comfortable current of the world. And the scary thing is we don’t usually notice when we’re drifting. We raise our heads and suddenly realize that we’re a mile away from land.

How can you tell if you’re drifting? Here's a list of early-warning signs:

• You spend little, if any, time reading God’s Word and praying – “I’m just too busy right now to read and pray.”

• The gospel doesn’t affect you like it used to – “I’ve heard it a thousand times before…it just seems a little old.”

• You don’t spend much time fellowshipping with other Christians – “I’ve worked hard, I’m tired, the last thing I want to do is go and be with other people.”

• The sins that used to bother you don’t really bother you anymore – “This show isn’t that bad. It doesn’t really tempt me too much.”

• You keep promising yourself that you will stop – “Okay, this is the last time I look at porn.”

• You find yourself making excuses for things – “I’m only chatting on Facebook with the guy; it’s not like we’re sleeping together.”

The good news is if you find yourself drifting, you can put a stop to it! God loves to help us stop drifting. He loves to give us the power to change. If you find yourself drifting, there are three things to do:

• Repent of your sins and receive the wonderful, complete, free forgiveness from Christ. Christ delights to forgive drifters.

• Tell a close friend of what has been going on.

• Return to the things you used to do, and don’t let condemnation stop you. Go to God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, fighting temptation, and listening to the promptings of your conscience.

Don’t let yourself drift. Drifting is dangerous. Sometimes, it’s lethal.
• You find yourself quieting your conscience more frequently – “I know it was wrong, and I’ll pray about it tonight.”