Regression Triggers

“Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive their reward.” (Proverbs 14:14 NLT)

Maturity is not linear. A certain amount of regression is a natural part of the growth process. If we are climbing a hill, two steps forward and then one step back leads to a gradual ascent; one step forward and one step back results in stagnancy; one step forward and two steps back ends up in regression. The more steps we can take forward and the less we slide back, the more we progress.

Backsliding is not intentional; in fact, it is the opposite. Progress takes deliberate activity, while relapses are a result of aimless passivity. Unless we become aware of our regression triggers and learn to avoid them, we are doomed to repeated setbacks.  Here are a few common conditions that may exacerbate weaknesses: reunions with relatives, physical exhaustion, emotional stress, travel, overbooked schedules, exposure to others who bring out dysfunction, and environments that pander to your addictions.

Every child at the playground knows that it takes more effort to go up the ladder of a slide than to slip down the smooth chute. Forward movement requires courage and forethought, especially when you have to break away from the herd. The journey can be lonesome, the path often unclear, the ascent arduous.  But in the end, the rewards of transformation are worth the struggle.