Why Do We Forget God After He Helps Us?

Why do people seek God intensely during hardship… but drift away once life becomes comfortable again?

In this episode of FaithFuel, Bob Shaw talks about the tendency people have to cry out to God during difficult seasons and then slowly fall back into self-reliance after the crisis passes.

Using a memorable scene from M*A*S*H and biblical examples, this devotional explores spiritual complacency, gratitude, dependence on God, and the importance of continuing to seek God in everyday life — not just during emergencies.

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Transcript

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It's amazing how quickly people can turn to God when life falls apart and how easy it is to start relying on ourselves again once things settle down. I'm Bob Shaw, and this is Faith Fuel. When life gets difficult, people tend to pray differently. A health scare happens, financial stress hits, a relationship starts falling apart. Suddenly people who haven't prayed much in a long time find themselves talking to God constantly. They seek Him harder, they depend on Him more. Sometimes they even make promises to God in those difficult situations. Most of us have probably experienced that at some point. It reminds me of an old episode of Mash, where a wounded soldier told Father Mulcahi that while he was under fire, he prayed, God, if you get me out of this, I'll become a priest. But after he survived, he admitted he really didn't want to be a priest at all. And Father Mulcahi replied, If everyone who promised to take the vow in a moment of stress made good, there'd be so many of us around it would look like the priesthood had a population explosion. Funny line, but there's a lot of truth in it, right? Because when people are scared or hurting, they often seek God in ways they normally wouldn't. But then life stabilizes again, and before long, prayer becomes less urgent, and self-reliance starts creeping back in. Deuteronomy eight verses eleven to fourteen says, Be careful not to forget the Lord your God, for when you have become full and prosperous, be careful, do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God. That warning came after God had provided for his people over and over again, and God knew exactly what people tend to do. During hardship, people cling tightly to him. But when life starts feeling manageable again, dependence on God can start fading into the background. Usually it's not intentional. The crisis passes, and eventually the urgency that once drove them toward God is no longer there in the same way. The Bible shows this pattern repeatedly. The Israelites cry out to God, God rescues them, then later they begin forgetting the one who helped them in the first place. Rinse and repeat. But before we judge that pattern too harshly, most of us can probably recognize pieces of ourselves in it too. Psalm 107 verse six and eight. Lord help, they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. That ties directly into what we talked about in the last episode regarding gratitude. Gratitude helps keep our hearts aware of God's faithfulness, even after the crisis is over. It's easy to cling tightly to God during hardship and then gradually stop noticing his goodness once life feels normal again. But God was never meant to become an emergency contact we only call when things fall apart. He wants relationship with us in every part of life, on the peaks, in the valleys, in ordinary everyday life. And maybe one of the healthiest things we can do is continue seeking God after the prayer gets answered, not just before it. Lord, thank you for being faithful to us even when we forget you too easily. Forgive us for the times we seek you intensely during hardship, but drift back toward self-reliance once life feels manageable again. Help us continue walking closely with you in every part of life, not just during crises, and remind us daily of how faithful you've already been. In Jesus' name, Amen. If God has carried you through difficult times before, maybe today's a good day to stop and thank him again for his faithfulness. And if these devotionals have been meaningful to you, keep faith fuel in your podcast rotation for more biblical encouragement throughout your week. I'm Bob Shaw. Peace and joy.