Backsliding is Like Sending God's Call to Voicemail

You know that feeling when your phone lights up with a name you’d rather not see? You already know the conversation will be uncomfortable—maybe challenging, maybe calling you out a little. So you do what any “responsible adult” does in that moment: you flip the phone over, pretend you didn’t see it, and tell yourself you’ll deal with it later.

We don’t just do this with people. We do it with the deeper stuff too. You sense that nudge: You shouldn’t be here. You know this isn’t who you are. You can’t keep living like this. And instead of answering, you drown it out with noise—more work, more scrolling, more distraction. It’s not that you don’t hear. It’s that you don’t want to.

Backsliding rarely looks like a dramatic press conference: “I, hereby, officially walk away from my faith.” It’s quieter. You stop praying as much. Church becomes optional. Old habits slip back in, and you start telling yourself, I just need some space. I just want to do what I want for a while. You might not be denying God’s existence—you just don’t want Him messing with your plans.

Then, annoyingly, the “notifications” keep coming. A verse you haven’t thought about in years pops into your mind. A random reel hits a little too close. A friend says exactly what you didn’t want to hear. Something in you knows: I’m being called back, and I don’t really want to go.

Let’s be honest—that “someone” you’re trying to ignore may very well be God.

Peter knew what it felt like to crash and burn spiritually (Luke 22:54–62). After denying Jesus three times, he basically defaulted to his old life: “I’m going fishing” (John 21:3). Translation: I failed. I’m done. I’m going back to what I know. But the risen Jesus doesn’t leave him there. He shows up on the shore, cooks breakfast, and restores Peter with a conversation, not a lecture (John 21:15–19). Peter comes back, not because he earned it, but because he was pursued.

That pursuit isn’t random; it’s part of who God is. In the second commandment, God calls Himself “a jealous God,” visiting the consequences of sin to “the third and fourth generation” of those who hate Him, but showing steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands (Exodus 20:5–6; Deuteronomy 5:9–10). That jealousy isn’t petty; it’s protective. He is jealous for us—fighting for our hearts, our future, our eternity.

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd whose sheep hear His voice and follow (John 10:27). Even when we wander, He keeps calling. And in Revelation 3:20, He’s pictured standing at the door and knocking, not kicking it down—inviting, pursuing, but not forcing.

So maybe the real issue isn’t, Is God still speaking? Maybe it’s this:

  • What “calls” from God have you been sending straight to voicemail?

  • Are you truly unable to hear Him—or do you just not want Him to interfere with your current vibe?

  • If you knew His pursuit was pure love and not punishment, what would keep you from picking up?

The way back isn’t blocked by your past. It’s held open by a God who loves you too much to leave you alone—even when you’re walking the other way.

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