I’m in My 50s, and My Faith Has Stalled. What’s My Problem?

I’m in my mid-50s, and it feels like my faith and my interest in faith matters have stalled. What’s my problem?

It is not unusual for our interest in or commitment to almost anything we do to wax and wane, so it is not surprising that we have seasons in our faith life as well. The good news of the gospel is that God’s commitment to us does not wane. We are saved by grace, not by works. But that assurance doesn’t mean that we should take our faith for granted. Developing our relationship with God is important, just as with any relationship that is important to us.

Christians over centuries have developed faith practices to help God’s people develop fuller understanding of God and a deeper relationship with God. One way to spark your interest in faith is to engage in some of those practices. Here are three places to start:

Read. Spend time in Scripture. Spend time with commentaries. Spend time with books that explore how we understand parts of Scripture. The wisdom of many theologians over the years has been written down, and most is very accessible to lay people. Your pastor or wise friends might have some good examples for you to try.

Listen. Your pastor prepares a sermon every week to expound on the word, but if those sermons are not getting you out of your faith-related rut, listen to other sermons online. The Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary (cepreaching.org) has many sermons you can listen to.

Pray. Get creative with prayer. Use prayers from the Bible, prayers your church uses, or prayers found in books or online.

There are other practices, too. Gathering people to have a conversation about a piece of writing or a piece of music can be a jumping-off point for faith conversations. Find a way to volunteer and use your gifts to bless others. Sabbath observance, hospitality, and gratitude are other options. If one is not sparking your interest, try another. It will be worth your time.