HEY MIKE! I’m 15, and I’ve been a Christian for years. I don’t struggle with porn addiction or swearing or some of the other problems guys share with you. I try to be a good person, yet I feel as if I’m falling away from God. Even though I pray every day, I rarely read my Bible. I haven’t even opened it in a long time. I really desire a strong relationship with Christ, but I feel too busy to do anything about it. Can you please help me?
—Jesse, Charlotte, N.C.
As I've shared before in this column, I too, have been so preoccupied with the pressures of life—including my desire to “do the Lord’s work”—that I’ve neglected my relationship with Christ. At times, my Bible and my faith have gotten pretty dusty.
Know what I’ve discovered? Even “good Christian guys” go through seasons of spiritual emptiness. And the heroes of faith weren’t immune, either. Moses spent years in the silence of the desert wilderness; David hid in caves, crying out to God as enemies surrounded him; Jonah felt abandoned by his Creator when he was stuck in the belly of a fish; Joseph sat alone in a prison cell, prayers unanswered.
Howard Baker, author of Soul Keeping, a book that has helped me, says this about our walk with Jesus: “Many of us have felt mired in busyness, the pain of our past, apathy toward God, phoniness in prayer, our own self-absorption or in a general feeling of ‘lostness’ in our spiritual life.”
Baker points out that these dry, desert times occur for a reason. They give us a thirst for the Living Water that only Christ can provide. “We need to accept that spiritual growth is not only a journey, but God Himself is leading us in it—through times of challenge and darkness, as well as times of ease and blessing.”
So, let’s get practical. What can you do to reconnect with Christ? Try this:
• Strive to put God first. Face it: You and I are busy. Yet we have time to eat three meals a day, shower, go to school and work, watch TV, hang out with friends. (I think you get my point.) Putting God first is a spiritual discipline, one that involves a conscious decision on our part every day.
• Continue praying. Even though the Lord feels distant right now, try to push aside your emotions and accept this truth: Jesus Christ loves you and cares deeply about you and your spiritual struggles. He will help you. Tell Him everything you’re feeling, and ask for guidance. Pray anytime, anywhere. Honest communication with God is a healthy way to work through your desert experience.
• Begin reading your Bible. You mentioned that you haven’t cracked it open in a long time. Like it or not, neglecting Scripture can result in spiritual “lostness.” Head to your local Christian bookstore and get a version of the Bible that you can understand, along with a devotional guide.
• Let iron sharpen iron. Guys need guy mentors. Talk to your dad, pastor or youth worker and ask him to pray with you and pour God’s wisdom into your life. 
