After a spiritual turning point, a person needs to understand both the glory of an event and the dynamics of the ongoing process of spiritual growth.
—Paul Anderson

Postpartum blues hit more than new mothers.

Our congregation's worship leader and I helped lead music at a praise service for a church convention. Scores of people, some with tears, had come up afterward to tell us how they had appreciated worship. When I returned to my hotel room, I found a note from my colleague, saying, "Praise God. Jesus was glorified this evening. Stand against discouragement—and have a good sleep."

The next day I asked what he meant. He said, "I often battle discouragement after a spiritual high, and yesterday I was flying."

This is not only a personal issue; it's also pastoral. My parishioners enjoy spiritual highs from time to time—at seminars and retreats, in worship, and in dramatic answers to prayer. Those events transform people's hearts and lives.

Yet coming off the mountain can be painful. Ask Peter, ...