Spiritual ruts are common to every believer. Having been a pastor for over 45 years, I’ve discovered it’s easy to find ourselves in spiritual slumps—times when we don’t feel close to God, even as pastors. The same holds true for Christian leaders in ministry or business.

David experienced this in his walk with God. He wrote about it in multiple places in the Psalms, including Psalm 71: “O God, do not be far from me” (v. 12 NKJV).

We won’t lose our salvation when we go through these dry spells, but we will lose the enjoyment God wants us to have in our relationship with Him.

How will you know if you are in a spiritual slump?

First, you’re no longer focused on loving others. Your heart grows cold. You share God’s Word with others week after week, yet Jesus isn’t warming your heart. Ministry with others becomes a duty, not a delight. 

Second, you stop taking steps of faith. Your vision shrinks.

Does that sound like you? There’s hope. God provides some vital insights from 2 Kings 6 about what to do when you’ve lost your “cutting edge.”

In this surprising story, Elisha goes with a group of prophets to the Jordan River to get some wood to build a place for them to live. They take with them a borrowed ax head, which they lose. And so, in a sense, they lost their “cutting edge,” just like we sometimes do in our spiritual lives. 

The story teaches us four spiritual truths about what we can do when we’re in a spiritual slump.

1. Admit you lost it.

You need to face reality. Start by admitting you’re not as close to God as you used to be. In 2 Kings 6:5, the man who lost the ax head admitted what he lost: “As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water. ‘Oh no, my lord!’ he cried out. ‘It was borrowed!’” (NIV).

The man had options when he realized he had lost the ax head. He could have given up and let someone else do the work. We’ve all encountered Christians who do that. When they lose their spiritual energy, they step back and let others with more passion do the work.

The man could have left the impression he still had it. Like a Christian who goes through the motions, he could have kept working frantically and feverishly, pretending nothing was wrong. We often choose to do this, too, in ministry and business. 

But that’s not what this man does in 2 Kings 6. He admits he lost the borrowed ax head. 

Admitting your relationship with God has grown distant is difficult. Don’t settle for a ordinary walk with Christ. The most difficult yet essential step is humbly praying, “Lord, I’ve lost the enjoyment. I’ve lost the excitement I once had. I’ve lost my cutting edge, and I need it back.”

2. Discover where you lost it.

Elisha wanted to know exactly where the man lost the ax head. He asked, “Where did it fall?” (2 Kings 6:6 NKJV).

If we want to reclaim our cutting-edge, we must pinpoint where we lost our close relationship with God. We can lose our spiritual edge for many reasons:

• • Distractions and busyness– Life gets busy, and we forget about God.
  • Disobedience – We’re not doing something God wants us to do, or we are doing something God doesn’t want us to do.
  • Pride – We stop depending on God and try living the Christian life (and do ministry) without His power.
  • Laziness – We stop doing the things that keep us close to God.

We must be honest and specific about losing our spiritual energy. Maybe it’s on the list listed above. Perhaps it’s something different. The good news is that when we confess our sin to God, He is faithful to forgive, cleanse, and restore our relationship with Him.

3. Count on God to restore your closeness with Him.

What Elisha did when the man told him where he lost the ax head is one of the most fascinating parts of this event. “When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float” (2 Kings 6:6 NIV).

Of course, the stick didn’t have any spiritual power. It was just a stick. But Elisha used it as an object lesson of his trust in God. He visibly showed that he believed God would restore what this guy lost. Making an ax head float is impossible, but God specializes in the impossible.

After all this time, you might think God can’t get you out of your slump and give you back your cutting edge. But God is ready to do the impossible in your life. You just need to believe that He will. 

4. Reach out and receive God’s help.

Look what Elisha said next. “‘Grab it,’ Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it” (2 Kings 6:7 NLT). It would have been easy for God to take the ax head directly out of the water and place it in the man’s hand. But He didn’t do that. He brought it to the top of the water and let him grab it.

It’s up to you to return to God. Just reach out and receive God’s help. 

You choose how close to God you want to be. The distance between you and God isn’t the fault of your congregation, employees, mate, or the culture around you. It’s your choice.

The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NKJV).

The God of the Universe loves you and wants you to have a close relationship with him and for Him to have one with you. But getting close to Him is up to you. It’s your choice. You can remain in a spiritual slump (like leaving the ax head floating on top of the water). Or you can draw near to God (like grabbing the ax) and experience His joy of getting back your cutting edge because His Word promises that in His “presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11 NKJV).