The Quiet Drift
Why we should be worried when we don't feel conviction about something we know is wrong and the lies we tell ourselves to justify our sin.
11/15/20254 min read
The Quiet Drift
I recently listened to a message by Sadie Robertson Huff where she talked about something deeply convicting: how dangerous it is when we stop feeling uncomfortable with sin. Not because sin has gotten smaller… but because we’ve quieted the Holy Spirit’s voice long enough that the discomfort fades.
And that is how it happens, isn’t it? Rarely does disobedience burst into our lives loudly. It creeps. It whispers. It settles in slowly—familiar, subtle, almost comfortable—until we wake up one day and wonder how we drifted so far from the intimacy we once shared with God.
When the Spirit’s Conviction Grows Faint
Scripture tells us plainly that we are capable of “quenching the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). That word quench means to extinguish, like putting out a fire. God gives His Spirit to guide, convict, correct, and lead us in truth—but when we repeatedly ignore that gentle tug on our hearts, the warnings grow quieter.
Conviction fading is not the same as sin fading.
It’s our sensitivity that fades.
Ephesians 4:18–19 describes this progression vividly:
“They are darkened in their understanding… having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity.”
Losing spiritual sensitivity is the first step toward deeper disobedience.
David and Bathsheba: The Slow Drift Before the Fall
Most of us think of David’s sin with Bathsheba as a sudden catastrophic moment—but Scripture hints there was a drift long before the rooftop.
2 Samuel 11 begins with a telling detail:
“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war… David remained in Jerusalem.”
David was not where he was supposed to be.
That was the first compromise.
The first quiet “no” to obedience.
The first whispering of sin creeping in.
Then one evening he walks on the roof, sees Bathsheba, and another line is crossed. One boundary softened, then another, and another… until David finds himself not only committing adultery but arranging a murder to cover it.
Sin didn’t leap.
It crept.
And David—“a man after God’s own heart”—did not feel the discomfort he should have felt, because each small step had quieted his sensitivity to God.
But God, in His mercy, sent Nathan the prophet to break through the numbing fog. And David, confronted, repented deeply (Psalm 51), showing all of us what to do when we realize the drift.
Other Biblical Examples of Sin Slowly Creeping In
Cain
Before Cain ever killed Abel, God warned him:
“Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you…” (Genesis 4:7).
Cain didn’t wake up planning murder; he allowed anger and jealousy to simmer unchecked.
Samson
His downfall didn’t start with Delilah.
It began with a pattern of ignoring God’s commands and treating his calling casually. Repeated compromise dulled his spiritual awareness until he didn’t even realize the Lord had departed from him (Judges 16:20).
Peter
His eventual denial of Jesus was preceded by small steps: boasting he’d never fall, falling asleep in the garden, following Jesus “from a distance.” Distance always leads to susceptibility.
How Disobedience Creeps Into Our Lives Today
Sin rarely shows up looking dangerous.
It shows up looking reasonable.
“Just this once.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Everyone struggles with this.”
“I’ll deal with it later.”
“I don’t feel convicted anymore, so maybe it’s fine.”
Feelings are a terrible compass for obedience.
The Spirit’s conviction—not our comfort—is the signpost for holiness.
Disobedience creeps in when:
We ignore the Holy Spirit’s nudge
We justify what God clearly calls sin
We avoid Scripture because it might confront us
We hide behaviors in the dark instead of bringing them to the light
We surround ourselves with voices that normalize sin rather than challenge it
We forget who we are and whose we are
How to Stay Sensitive to the Spirit
1. Stay in the Word daily
Scripture doesn’t change—but we do. Daily immersion keeps our hearts aligned with God’s truth (Psalm 119:11).
2. Respond quickly to conviction
Delayed obedience is disobedience. When God nudges your heart, move.
3. Keep short accounts with God
Repent often, even of the small things. David prayed,
“Search me, O God… and see if there is any offensive way in me” (Psalm 139:23–24).
4. Stay around people who sharpen you
“As iron sharpens iron…” (Proverbs 27:17).
We all need Nathans—people who love us enough to confront us.
5. Pay attention to what doesn’t bother you anymore
If something used to prick your conscience but now feels normal, that’s a warning.
6. Invite the Spirit to reignite sensitivity
Ask God for a tender heart again (Ezekiel 36:26).
God’s Conviction Is a Gift, Not a Punishment
Feeling the Spirit’s conviction is evidence that God is near and working. It’s His love protecting you from something that will destroy you.
The most dangerous place to be is not in the middle of a sin struggle…
It’s in the place where you no longer feel conviction at all.
And the beautiful truth?
God restores sensitivity when we ask.
He revives hearts that have grown numb.
He brings light back into places that grew dim.
He makes us new again.
What a wonderful God He is!
Here's the link to the entire message from Sadie. Blessings to you all.