How to avoid a long-distance relationship with God?
I heard Tony Evans, author and pastor, mention the phrase, “a long-distance relationship with God” on the radio the other day.
I like Tony Evans very much. He says it like it is. I also like his daughter, Priscilla Shirer. If you’re looking for some good reading, check them out.
Anyway, that got me to thinking.
How would one define a long-distance relationship with God?
Can we agree that any long-distance relationship is hard to keep going? Yes, there are those people that we don’t see for a long time and when we do, it’s just like old times. I have a couple of friends like that.
But wouldn’t you also agree that those are exceptions and that it would be better if we saw them more often?
Our relationship with God is no different. We need to be intimate with God, letting him in on our deepest hurts, fears, longings, dreams, hopes, etc. And that requires time, lots of it.
We need to be honest with God, never pretending to be something we’re not. And not using language that isn’t the way we usually talk.
We can never give in excess to God and certainly not where our time is concerned. We never tax God’s time or impose on him, no matter how much we commune with him. We annoy other people but never God. The truth is we will never give him so much attention that he gets tires of us.
I hadn’t thought about that before. Never thought whether God would ever tire of my demands on his time. It was an eye-opener to me that
this is the one relationship:
that I can never wear out or use up:
where my failings don’t matter.
where I never have to pretend I’m not angry, sad, hurt, scared.
where I don’t have to be cheery or in a good mood.
where I don’t have to edit.
We may seem “needy” to other people. But never to God.
In fact, sometimes I think I’m closest to God when I feel the loneliest. I think that’s because according to Scripture this is how God, the creator of us all, feels sometimes himself. Hard to imagine.
(I apologize, Lord. I never meant to make you feel like I do sometimes.)
What does your relationship with God look like? Do you give more of yourself to others than you give to God? Do you give more of yourself to “self” than to God?
Only you know the answer to that.
God bless and have a good day.
