The "honeymoon phase" of salvation...
Finding the space between living in bliss and living on mission for His kingdom
When I came back home to Jesus a few years ago (after dabbling in “New Age” practices in the name of “healing myself”), I found myself stuck in what I’ve been calling the “salvation honeymoon phase”. That’s the best way I can describe it.
You probably know the feeling… where life suddenly feels lighter, peace washes over you, and your burdens seem almost insignificant. It’s beautiful. It’s freeing. And for a while, it can even feel like “This is it!” Like you've arrived! The pinnacle of freedom.
But then time passes.
The emotional high settles.
Life keeps life-ing.
And without realizing it, you start drifting into spiritual complacency.
You’re still showing up, engaging in your devotional practices, still doing the “right” things (like praying, reading, attending church) but something feels…different.
Like a weak wifi signal.
The connection isn’t fully lost, but it’s not fully there either.
For me, the wake-up call came when I was hit with spiritual warfare. Because isn’t it just like the enemy to catch you when you’re off-guard, in bliss, and least expecting it?
That’s why the Lord, through Paul, reminds us in his letter to the Philippians of this truth (written while he was in jail, at that):
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”— Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Salvation isn’t the end.
It’s just the beginning.
But here’s where many believers—myself included—can get fall into the trap of spiritual complacency: having consistent devotion without that initial hunger and desire to really deepen our relationship with the Lord.
And it doesn’t just happen when we first come to Christ. I’ve witnessed this happen with seasoned Christians and those in leadership.
It’s totally possible to be devoted to God, but lack true desire for Him.
We see it all the time in long-term relationships and marriages. Couples going through the motions, showing up out of obligation, keeping up appearances, but lacking real connection and even friendship.
The same thing happens spiritually.
Routine without relationship.
This can happen for a lot of reasons.
There are five, in particular, that I’ve become the most sensitive to…
We get too comfortable.
The urgency we once felt fades.
We get distracted.
The world is loud, and life is full and distractions weaken desire.
We get discouraged.
Unanswered prayers and waiting seasons can leave us feeling distant from God.
We get deceived.
The enemy whispers lies: “You’ve prayed enough,” “You don’t need to go to engage in fellowship as much. You’ve got enough going on”, “You’re wasting your time”, “You’re powerful enough on your own”.
We get rebellious.
We allow our hearts to harden and just stop making time for God altogether.
And before we know it, we’re saying “I’m devoted”, but we’ve lost the desire that fuels intimacy. God wants more for us than habitual faith. He wants relational faith.
That’s why Scripture calls us not just to obey, but to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
Love is a verb. Faith is active. Salvation is a seed.
In order for them to grow, we must walk in love, exercise our faith, water our salvation, and protect our peace.
Not just with daily devotion, but from a deep desire to be close to Him and to please Him. By sharing our day, innermost thoughts, and our heart with Him.
This is how we deepen our relational and spiritual intimacy with God.
I’d love to hear from you. Have you reflected on the space between living in the bliss of salvation, and living on mission for His kingdom?
If you can recall a time where you’ve felt complacent in your faith (maybe even now), what was your “wake-up call”? What happened next?
I’ll leave you with this…
A relationship with God isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about a heart posture that desires Him deeply. Devotion without desire becomes routine, and desire without devotion is fleeting. When you pair the two, you build an intimacy with God rooted in Truth that cannot be shaken.