The ‘Slow Fade’ in a Christian’s Life

One of my favorite songs is “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns. It’s a song that I believe most Christians can relate to as it describes the very unpleasant but also very real process of slowly turning away from God.

Mark Hall, who wrote the song “Slow Fade”, described the process of a slow fade and how it marks the regression when Christians aren’t living intentionally. He put it this way: “People don’t crumble in a day. You don’t fall, you fade. In your mind, there’s that pride that says ‘I’d never do that’ … but you don’t just do it, it’s a slow, series of compromises, little ones that go there eventually, until you’re sitting in a place you’d never go, doing something you’d never do… and yet the way you’re living totally makes sense to you somehow because you’re so numb.”

The Slow Fade Happens Gradually

This falling away from God is not something that happens all of a sudden, but rather it gradually takes place over time. This is why so many Christians at some point (myself included!) have wondered or asked themselves these questions:

• “What happened? I was so close to God, how did I get so far away?”
• “Why do I feel like God isn’t listening and I can’t hear His voice?”
• “I never used to compromise my time with God for anything, how did it get to the point where now I don’t even have time for Him at all?”

If you ever found yourself feeling this way – you’re not alone! In fact, anyone of us can fall into the enemy’s trap and slowly begin to fall away from God.

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
-Hebrews 3: 12-14

One thing I want to make very clear is that God never leaves us or forsakes us and nothing can ever separate you from His love (Romans 8:35-39). The problem lies within us. There are many reasons why Christians can experience a slow fade in their walk with Christ. From being corrupted by false teachings and new age doctrines, secular education, the media and materialism to the movies and music we love to watch and listen to – it’s not that hard for us to become absorbed by things of this world and slowly start making excuses for why we don’t have time for God anymore.

Sin Desensitizes Us

I want to turn our focus on the process of becoming desensitized to sin.

But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3:13

Sometimes we get so into our pride that we think things like “that could never happen to me,” but that’s exactly when we are most vulnerable to falling right into the enemy’s trap! It’s called the deceitfulness of sin for a reason. Sin is deceitful because the more you practice sin, the more your heart becomes hardened by it and the more you are tempted to justify and make excuses for it… before you know it you have become so desensitized to sin and making compromises for evil that you don’t even feel the need to repent. When we keep repeating the same sins it deadens our conscious until you no longer even feel guilty or wrong about it. Instead, you just become numb.

Mark Hall explained: “Imagine a man totally breaking down, but just little at a time. First he’s walking, then standing, and eventually sitting, just slowly shutting down. He doesn’t crash suddenly- there’s no sudden crash in the Christian life. The ‘crash’ is just the fruit of a slow fade.”

Beware of the following thoughts because they are often what lead to the start of a “slow fade” in a Christian’s life:

• “Well I know those songs are only talking about sex and drugs, but it’s not like I’m doing those things! I just really like the beat.”

• “It’s just a few drinks on the weekend. It’s not like I get too drunk, there’s no harm in getting a little tipsy.”

• “Everybody is going to the club and partying. It’s no big deal if I go, besides, I’ll make up for it by attending Church service this week and maybe even volunteering.”

A Few Signs of a “Slow Fade”

• Doing the bare minimum (Ex. instead of reading your Bible you are too busy reading Facebook posts or watching TV, instead of spending time with God in the morning you replace that with sleep, checking social media, etc. If you do read the Word or pray it’s no more than a quick few minutes just so your conscious is clear.)
• Your service to God turns into a religious ritual instead of a personal relationship (Ex. You obey the Word out of duty and not out of love for God. You are simply going through the motions and your heart is not in it. You can be doing “Christian things” like praying, reading your word, etc. but unless you are doing it from a place of love for God then it is all in vain and you’ve missed the point. Eventually, serving God out of habit won’t be enough and you will end up drifting further away from Him or leaving God altogether.)
• You’re no different from the world (Ex. Christians are to be set apart from the rest of the world, not blend in to what society deems as “cool and acceptable”. A “slow fade” will cause you to no longer be distinct or different than the world, but rather you will fit right in!)

These are just a few examples of what slowly becoming desensitized to sin looks like.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
- Matthew 5:13

You can’t be a servant of God and a slave to the world at the same time! Eventually, the constant compromising of sin will sooner or later cause you to leave God. And just in case you believe you can continue to practice “small enough sins” without any repercussions remember this: “If you give the devil an inch he will become your ruler.”

You CAN Prevent the Slow Fade in Your Christian Walk

If you want to prevent the slow fade don’t participate in the devil’s game. It’s important to realize that as a Christian you are in a spiritual battle every day of some sort. Don’t give the enemy any opportunity to lead you away from Christ. When you have this “gut feeling” (aka the Holy Spirit!) and you know something you’re doing is wrong – turn away from it immediately! Run the opposite direction! Don’t risk putting your soul in jeopardy.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Everyone has different types of temptations that entice them to sin. For you it may be getting drunk or maybe it’s your battle with lust and giving into sexual temptation or perhaps its gossip and lying – whatever it is, it only takes one sin to get entangled and caught up in that can lead you away from God. So what are you to do?

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

Proverbs 4:14-15

If we’re being completely honest with ourselves, the beginning of a slow fade usually starts with small compromises. For example, it starts with listening to those catchy songs about sex, drugs and getting high – you know it’s not good for you and you probably shouldn’t be feeding those lyrics into your mind, but the beat is catchy so you tell yourself it’s not a big deal if you listen to it this one time. But, of course, it isn’t just that one time because soon enough that is pretty much the only thing you listen to and you can’t even remember the last time you played a worship song.

Or perhaps it starts with answering that text message…. oooh y’all aren’t gonna like me for this one but I’m going to keep it real: You know that text message you received late at night from that one person that’s “your weakness” who asks you to come over and “chill” for a bit, and even though deep down you know what their true intentions and motives are, you try to overlook them and convince yourself if you go nothing will happen… and if it does, you’ll just ask for forgiveness and not give in next time – you’re just giving the enemy a foothold over your life.

The good news is you CAN prevent the “slow fade” or if you are already finding yourself in the middle of it, you can turn away and get anchored again in Jesus!

The most important thing to do is realize this is happening to you! The next step is to ask for forgiveness for turning away from God and ask Him to help you find your way back. Ask God to renew your desire to spend time with Him, read the Word, to pray and fellowship with other believers. Realize that when you don’t prioritize (on a daily basis) reading the Bible and praying or spending time with God, you are at a greater risk of falling away from Him. Make the decision to devote or re-devote yourself to God and ask Him to help you become and remain faithful to the very end.