I spent 18 years living in Norwich. For almost two decades, the spire of Norwich Cathedral was a constant fixture on the horizon. Yet in all those years, I can hardly recall deliberately stepping inside simply to marvel at its wonder. It was simply there—part of the background landscape.
It wasn’t until I left, gained distance, and returned that I saw it with fresh eyes.
Familiarity breeds complacency. And in our spiritual lives, this is perhaps the greatest quiet danger we face.
When you hear the Gospel week in and week out, when you know the hymns by heart, and when Scripture verses roll off your tongue without effort, something subtle happens. Wonder fades into routine. The living, consuming presence of Almighty God becomes wallpaper in the background of our busy lives.
The Gospel writers record that in Jesus’ own hometown, He could do few miracles because the people thought they already had Him figured out: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?”They were too familiar with Him to receive who He truly was.
We risk making the exact same error. We assume we know what God can do, where He works, and who He speaks through. We reduce the wild mystery of His grace into an item on our Sunday checklist.
So how do we break the trance?
It requires an intentional change of posture. We must ask the Holy Spirit to strip away our assumptions and give us the eyes of a traveler in our own faith.
This week, challenge yourself:
Pause before Scripture: Don’t rush through your daily reading. Pray: “Lord, show me what I have stopped noticing.”
Look for the hidden work: Where has God been sustaining you that you haven’t thanked Him for?
Expect the unexpected: Do not limit what God can do in your heart today based on how routine yesterday felt.
There is always more to come. Don’t let familiarity rob you of the miracle standing right in front of you.
Grace and peace.
Rob