The word drift invokes different things to different people. If you own a boat, you may imagine lazily drifting on the lake’s surface as you nap. Others may imagine their cares drifting away…que Rainbow Connection by the Muppets. I’m going to take a wild guess that most people are thinking of video games such as Mario Cart or Tokyo Drift. I must be honest: if you can make Mario drift, I’m unsure if I like you right now.
In many circumstances, drift is a dangerous thing. A ship sailing from the US to the UK can be off by miles if it only drifts a few inches off course without making corrections. Our spiritual lives are very much like this. It is also well illustrated throughout the history of Israel and Judah. Good kings came and went, making minor corrections to the drift caused by evil kings that came and went. Both Israel and Judah eventually drifted so far from their relationship with God and their intended purpose that they went into captivity. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) never fully returned. Judah did return but still struggled with drift.
In my sermon this past Sunday, I focused on guarding the church from drifting by remaining true to our Core Values. Those answer the question, why do we exist? For C3AG, there are five values: Spirit-filled, Multicultural, Missions Engaged, Discipleship Driven, and Outreach Oriented.
In this blog, I want to focus on us as individuals. F. B. Meyer pastored in England in the late 1800s and was a prolific writer. In his book, Shepherd Psalm, he outlines four reasons we might need our soul restored (Psalm 23).
First, The Neglect of the Word and private devotion. You WILL drift from the Lord if you are not spending time with Him apart from corporate worship. Being a Christian equals being in a committed, monogamous relationship. I am His, and He is mine (Song of Songs). It takes work to foster that relationship. It takes spending time with God to foster that relationship. You will drift if you are not in the Word.
Second, Meyer points to Unconfessed Sin. Romans 10:9 NLT: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” The KJV says to confess and believe. Confession is part of repentance. If we are unwilling to admit we have sin in our lives, there is no forgiveness for us. Like a person in a 10-step program, it begins with admitting the problem…sin.
Third is Worldly Society. I love how the Chosen comes on. A few teal-colored fish swimming against the current. Drift occurs when an outward force pushes against us. That might be a water current with a boat, an air current with a plane, or the world’s current with a believer. Satan wants your relationship with God to fail. He wants you to drift. He will put pressure on you so that you drift. Often, it is so slow we barely notice.
Finally, Meyer points to the Neglect of Commands. Suppose I can put this in my words: disobedience. When God says don’t, and we do, we are disobedient. When God says do, but we don’t, we are disobedient. King Saul got into trouble when he offered a sacrifice only a priest should offer. Samuel tells him that “obedience is better than sacrifice.” Our willingness to obey protects us from drift. It keeps us close to the Father. It is for our protection.
What F. B. Meyer writes from Psalm 23 is illustrated in 2 Kings 23 as King Josiah brings about the most significant correction in Judah’s history. 2 Kings 23:25 says of him, “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.”
May the same be said of us. So yes, drift while playing Mario Cart, but guard your spiritual life from it. A small drift can have a big consequence.
Through Time 