Antidote to Spiritual Staleness

I’ve had some wild dreams, most of which were the result of a colorful imagination or unusual culinary concoctions right before bed.

However, at the end of December, 2004, I had a vivid three-part dream I’d like to share. It came during a time of disappointment in myself due to spiritual staleness in my life.

Part One: I was dead (but very aware), lying on my back on a cold slab in a dark, eerie room. Across the room from me, three or so demons hopped and danced about, paying no attention to me because I was dead. Although the room was creepy and I was terribly uncomfortable, I realized I was unafraid and very safe, knowing that the demons could not touch me because I was dead. I felt a strong connection to Christ and said to myself, “Well, anyways, I’ll rise up again!”

Part Two: As I was looking out my back door, I noticed a cave off to the right. A large bear emerged, and I thought, “I didn’t know there were bears in these parts.”

Then I saw a huge Galapagos tortoise walking through the yard from the left side, and I worried that the bear would devour him. However, the bear paid no attention to the turtle. Strolling to join the Galapagos was another one—a female (I could tell by her long eyelashes. Stop laughing—it was a dream!) and the two of them walked through my yard slowly but surely, without a care in the world.

Part Three: I looked out the same door again and saw a filthy white and red tabby cat named Rowe. I knew the bear would get him, so despite the fact that my resident cats would throw hissy fits, I let him in.

I noticed problems with Rowe’s mouth right away. He had blackish blisters on his lips, and his lower right incisor was missing. I opened his mouth and saw that he had a blackish tumor the size of half a grape on the back of his tongue. My thought was to get him veterinary attention as soon as possible.

Upon awakening I realized that God was giving me insight into the staleness of my spiritual walk and was revealing steps to recapture the fire.

First, He showed me to reckon myself as dead. Dead people don’t get offended. Dead people (in Christ) cannot be touched by the enemy. “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11); “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Secondly, He directed me to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6). The Galapagos tortoises could saunter without a care in the presence of a prowling bear because of their shell-armor. I, too, could gain confidence and move without fear in the purposes of God if I was clothed in the armor He provided.

And third was the mouth. The cat in my dream was diseased in his mouth. God revealed to me that to live effectively involved maintaining a healthy mouth. I had grown lazy with my words, complaining, backbiting, and spewing bitter words without restraint. I had pity on the sick dream cat; I needed to be equally as diligent to obtain spiritual medicine for my own mouth.

So take it from an unusual dream: Reckon yourself as dead in Christ, put on the full armor of God, and acquire spiritual medicine to heal your mouth of diseased words! These are surefire antidotes to spiritual staleness.