I’ve never run a marathon, but I imagine that at some point along the way, you get tired. Your legs give out. You desperately need water. You might even have to sit down and take some deep breaths before you can start running again.
The Christian life is a bit like a marathon. Some days, we will feel the wind at our backs. Our walks with Christ will produce great joy, peace, and vitality as we experience close fellowship with our Creator. Other days, we might be in desperate need of rest and refreshment. The finish line seems far away. God feels distant. Or worse, like he doesn’t exist at all.
If you’ve walked with Christ for a considerable amount of time, you know that the painful experience of distance from God might stretch on for weeks, months, or even years. I know of no long-suffering saint who has not experienced at least one season of spiritual dryness. The same way exhaustion is a guaranteed part of any marathon, a spiritual dry season is an almost guaranteed part of the Christian life.
Our students are no exception to this rule. Even if they are relatively young believers, they might experience a season in which they feel disconnected from the Lord. It is then the privilege of the youth minister to walk alongside students as they navigate their first—or reoccurring—spiritual valleys.
Youth minister, if your student is in the midst of a spiritual dry season, consider the following four encouragements that will lead them to the oasis of Jesus in the midst of their spiritual desert.
This is normal. There is no need to fear.
A spiritual desert is a bleak and scary place. If a student is feeling disconnected from God, she is likely fearful it will always be this way. Or, she could assume her lack of spiritual vibrancy is an indicator that she was never a “true Christian” in the first place. Youth ministers have the opportunity to remind students that neither of these fears are true, however real they might seem.
No married person would ever claim to feel close to his or her spouse all the time. Just like any other relationship, our walks with the Lord will inevitably include ups and downs. A spiritual dry season, then, is just that—a season. God’s Word promises us that weeping may tarry for the night, but joy will come in the morning (Ps. 30:5).
While it can be grueling to trek through the darkness of a spiritual depression, unsure of when the light will come, youth ministers can assure students that though the darkness feels all-encompassing, it is not permanent.
The Psalms remind us that feeling distant from God is nothing new (see Psalm 77 or 22, to name a few). Even Mother Teresa herself experienced severe bouts of spiritual depression. Listen to some of the words she penned in a journal discovered after her death:
Darkness surrounds me on all sides—I can’t lift my soul to God—no light or inspiration enters my soul . . . Heaven, what emptiness—not a single thought of Heaven enters my mind—for there is no hope. . . The place of God in my soul is blank. 1
If you know a student who can relate to these honest words, you, the youth minister, can remind them that they are among many who have walked the road of a spiritual dry season before them. God is not surprised, nor is he disappointed. Just as he was faithful to saints like David and Mother Theresa though their spiritual valleys, he will continue to be faithful to your student in his or her valley.
We all need community.
Back to our original metaphor: it would be foolish to run a marathon alone. Runners need the encouragement of their fellow participants, the cheers of their loved ones, and that cold drink of water from a volunteer. In the same way, it’s unwise to walk through a spiritual valley— or even a spiritual mountaintop!— alone.
In Exodus 17, God tells an elderly Moses to hold up his hands to ensure that Israel would prevail against Amalek. If Moses lets his hands fall, Israel will lose. But as long as he holds his hands up, Israel will prevail. Naturally, Moses’ hands grew weary. But Moses was not left to this important job alone! His friends Aaron and Hur “took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands […] so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Ex. 17:13-13).
What Moses could not do in his own strength, his companions did for him. Weary and weak, Moses literally leaned upon the strength of another. This is exactly why it’s vital for students in spiritual dry seasons to lean upon their youth group and church community.
In a spiritual valley, students get to experience the beauty of the body of Christ at work. Even if it’s the last thing they want to do, encourage them to simply show up each week at church and allow others to “hold up their hands” for them. In Christ’s body, they will meet Aarons and Hurs who will pray for them, sing over them, feed them Christ’s body and blood, and offer them the support they need when they cannot stand in their own strength.
Spiritual practices need not be complicated.
Likely, if a student is experiencing a spiritual dry season, he or she may have no desire to pray, read the Bible, or engage in any kind of spiritual activity. When God feels distant and his Word falls flat, spiritual disciplines tend to feel like rubbing salt on an open wound.
Some students might try to work their way out of their spiritual holes, believing that if they just pray more, read more, or do more, God will deliver them from their current darkness. While it’s certainly never a bad idea to pray or read one’s Bible, students in a spiritual dry season might benefit from a phone-free walk outside more than a new spiritual “to do” list.
Rather, encourage students to get creative about how they might re-connect with the Lord. Ask them what they enjoy doing and see how they might incorporate that into their spiritual lives. A student could take a hike and admire God’s creation. She could paint while listening to worship music or an audio recording of Scripture. He could read encouraging and edifying fiction like the Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve even known students who have benefited from simply reading a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible every night.
While these ideas might initially strike students as “not spiritual enough,” assure them that God works in every part of his creation. They might be pleasantly surprised how he speaks to them in nature, through a song, or in the pages of a children’s book.
And eventually, when the darkness lifts, God will lead them to a deeper delight in their time in the Word and in prayer.
He will hold you fast.
Although this point is listed last, it is perhaps the single most important thing you can say to reassure a student walking through a spiritual dry season. Remind your student that although his faith may be weak, he belongs to strong Savior. Praise be to God, his salvation rests on Jesus, not the caliber of your student’s faith.
Hours before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed to his Father: “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost […]” (John. 17:12). For students in a spiritual desert, the promise that Jesus has lost none of his own is a vital truth. They may feel their grip on Christ slipping, but he will never let go of them. He might feel distant, but that does not change the reality of his ever-present nearness to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. If students are unable to cling to anything else, encourage them to meditate on the truth that God will hold them fast, no matter how lackluster their spiritual lives may feel.
Jesus faced separation from God, descending even to the depths of hell, to ensure that he would never lose any that the Father has given him. As pervasive as the darkness of a spiritual dry season feels, our students belong to the Good Shepherd. As they wander into the abyss, he will pick them up, place them on his shoulders, and carry them home to himself.
Youth minister, as you faithfully walk students through spiritual dry seasons, may you continually point them to the Good Shepherd who promises to never let them go. Indeed, he will hold you both fast.
If you’re interested in learning more about gospel-centered youth ministry, we hope you’ll consider joining us for our 2024 Rooted Conference in Dallas, TX.
Footnotes:
- “Unwholly Bound: Mother Teresa’s Battles With Depression” (George Graham, 2016).