Faith Autopilot 

Guy: “Is it not church?”

Lady: “Yes, it is, but I wasn’t feeling it.”

Guy: “Really? But what do you want to feel?”

This brief exchange between a young lady and a concerned gentleman captures a subtle but dangerous undercurrent in today’s Christian walk: the slow drift into autopilot living. Many believers, often without even realizing it, have shifted from a deliberate, Spirit-led journey to a passive, emotion-driven existence. Their spiritual lives become habitual rather than intentional, reactive rather than proactive, comfortable rather than transformational.

To live on autopilot means to function without conscious thought, merely repeating routines without engaging the mind or heart. In the Christian life, autopilot looks like:

• Attending church when it’s convenient

• Praying only when there’s a crisis

• Reading the Bible sporadically—if at all

• Serving when asked, but not with joy or conviction

• Measuring spiritual health by how one “feels” rather than by obedience or fruit

This kind of living is subtle. It doesn’t come with alarms or warnings. It creeps in during seasons of weariness, disappointment, or even busyness. One missed quiet time turns into a week of silence. One skipped church visit becomes three months of online “catch-up” that never really happens. Soon, a vibrant walk with God becomes a memory, and faith becomes mechanical.

“I wasn’t feeling it.”

This statement reflects a mindset that equates spiritual activity with emotional stimulation. While feelings are a gift from God and can accompany worship and fellowship, they are not the foundation of faith. Jesus did not say, “If you feel like it, follow me.” He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

When feelings become the compass of our spiritual journey, we are prone to instability. Emotions are unpredictable. They respond to external conditions, internal chemistry, and even the weather. But truth—God’s unchanging Word—anchors us beyond the tides of emotion.

To live by feelings is to reject the walk of faith. The Christian life is about trust, obedience, and growth—not always goosebumps and euphoria.

The apostle Paul writes in Hebrews 5:12-14:

“Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God… But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

Spiritual maturity doesn’t come by accident. It is cultivated through:

• Deliberate study of Scripture

• Intentional prayer

• Persistent obedience

• Regular fellowship

• Consistent self-examination and repentance

None of these are possible on autopilot. The mature believer trains themselves, just as an athlete trains—consciously, repeatedly, sometimes painfully. They don’t wait for motivation; they act out of conviction.

Autopilot Christianity bypasses all these disciplines. It numbs discernment. It leads to spiritual atrophy, where the believer is alive but not thriving, present but not participating, saved but not sanctified.

Jesus never lived a moment on autopilot. His entire ministry was marked by purposeful movement—early morning prayers, deliberate teaching, strategic retreats, and intentional relationships. John 5:19 tells us:

“The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.”

This level of attentiveness is the opposite of passivity. Jesus was constantly in tune with the Father’s will, not his feelings. In Gethsemane, he didn’t feel like going to the cross—but he went. Why? Because obedience trumped emotion.

So how do we step off the conveyor belt of autopilot and live with purpose?

1. Realign with the Word

Don’t wait to feel like reading the Bible—start reading. Let the Word shape your thoughts and desires. Truth reorients our emotions.

2. Show Up Anyway

Whether it’s Sunday service, small group, or prayer time—show up. God meets those who seek Him, not those who wait to be moved.

3. Talk to God Even When It’s Awkward

Prayer isn’t always eloquent. Sometimes it’s just honest. But the act of talking to God keeps the relationship alive.

4. Examine Your Routine

Is your life spiritually automated? What have you stopped doing because it “doesn’t feel the same”? Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your hunger.

5. Pursue Accountability

Find mature believers who will challenge you when you check out. We weren’t made to run this race alone.

The young woman in the opening dialogue is not alone. Many have grown weary of spiritual disciplines that once brought joy. But the way back isn’t through chasing emotional highs—it’s by returning to the basics with new commitment.

Autopilot may get you through traffic, but it will never get you to your destination in faith. God is calling His people to wake up, rise up, and walk deliberately. Because only the intentional Christian grows, matures, and impacts the world.

“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

— Ephesians 5:14

With Love, Esinam.