Friday, September 7, 2007

Close

You are as close to God as you want to be. What is your first reaction when you read that? Does that pierce your heart? Do you want to instantly disagree with that statement? Your response may come from how close or distant you feel from God, but even more than that your response may come from where your desires are right now.

Being in ministry I get to learn a lot about people from all over the country and even the world. I read or listen to fellow believers in the faith and how God is moving in their lives. Often times I admire a persons faith they have in Christ and the personal intimate relationship they have in God. I at times may even envy how close some people are with God when I compare my distance from Him at times.

When I think about the distance between God and myself, I cannot blame anyone or any circumstance I have been through. I am realizing more and more that I am the one that dictates how close to God I want to be. No one can stop me from thinking about God in all that I do, no one can stop me from praying, no circumstance can stop me from praising God, nothing is stopping me from learning more about who God is through scripture or growing in my faith.

We do not want to take responsibility for a lot of things in our lives and one of those may be our distance from God. Thankfully God is not the one that has distanced Himself from us. It is what we have or have not done and where our hearts are that dictates what our actions will be. So how close to God are you and how close to you want to be? -Jeremy

3 comments:

Stephen Nelson said...

I think you're on to something big here.

nextlevel3 said...

Thank you, Jer! We all need to hear the truth & take it to heart, then we'll see change in our lives. With this day & time, we allow distractions to interfer in our lives & those distractions continue to push GOD to the end of our list. As GOD is pushed to the end of our list, we allow ourselves to become more distant from HIM. GOD should be at the top of our list in all that we say & do. HE is waiting with HIS arms open for us to sit on HIS lap & lay our cares upon HIM!

Wes said...

I'll think about this each time I go to sleep on a night like tonight and say, "God, I'm sorry. I just didn't have time for you today." More like I didn't make time.