Constant Pursuit

Feeling far from God is something we all go through at some point. Maybe He's always felt far, or you've never even thought about having a relationship with God.

Whether you've never attempted to start a relationship with God, or you've been a Christian your whole life, God loves you the same. Unlike how we're taught with relationships with people, God is always waiting for you with open arms. He's never going to turn away from you, regardless of what your life looks like. You don't need to get "cleaned up" first. A unique thing about Jesus is that He is always standing at the door; all He asks us to do is open it.

God is always there.

Even depending on the time of day, we can fluctuate from feeling close or far. That's why God's character is so important. While we constantly feel swayed because of emotions and circumstances, He has always been and always will be, constant.

Because of emotions and circumstances constantly influencing what and how we feel, there are times when we can get stuck thinking God is nowhere to be found.

The truth is, God is everywhere. There is nowhere we can go where we are hidden from His sight, nor His unfailing love. On the days you feel like you can't point out anything that is from God, try to remind yourself that each day is still quietly covered with His fingerprints.

James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above. So, it can be helpful to your relationship with God to remind yourself throughout the day that all those little things that make you smile, are little blessings from God.

This specific verse has personally helped me the most to shift to that mindset: "I will remain confident of this: That I will see the good of the Lord in the land of the living." (Psalm 27:13)

Let's dive more into God's character when we feel far from Him.

The Lost Sheep

In Matthew 18, Jesus was in the middle of giving a sermon to a crowd of people. His sermons were typically told using metaphorical stories, known as parables. Jesus was known for using parables as analogies to help people better understand certain topics and characteristics of God.

In verses 12-14, Jesus tells The Parable of the Lost Sheep:
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:12-14 ESV)

The sheep that goes astray represents us. Jesus said that His character is that He will chase us down regardless of where we go, because He has the power to redeem anyone at any time. There is no such thing as too far to turn to Him.

Chases Down the One

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Don't cross oceans for people that wouldn't cross a puddle for you,"? Unlike how the world teaches us this, Jesus crossed oceans for you before you even knew what a puddle was.

He gave His life for you, knowing there was a chance you would never accept His gift. He didn't care about what He would get in return; He doesn't love us transactionally. He sees our hearts and knows that we struggle and slip up. The difference He makes is that no matter what, the invitation to accept His gift and become part of the Kingdom is always available to us, every day of our lives.

It's the best gift that anyone could ever give! Don't waste your chance to live with the hope and joy from your Heavenly Father who loves you.

More Than You Can Ever Know

God loves you so, so much. More than our finite, human minds can comprehend. When we mess up, He doesn’t want us to hide our faces in shame.

Shame is not from God, but from the enemy. Feeling convicted (that little voice in your head that says, ‘maybe I shouldn’t have done/said that.’) is from God, but feeling guilty and sick to your stomach afterward is not from God.

He has revealed to us, time and time again, that He constantly pursues our rebellious hearts. Though He wants us to remain faithful to Him, He knows we're going to make mistakes, so grace and forgiveness are found in repentance and coming back to Him after going astray.

Pause:

Although there is endless forgiveness, this does not mean that we should do whatever we want because God will forgive us anyway.

In Romans 6:1-4, Paul writes, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (NIV)

We're Not Perfect

God knows we’re imperfect; it’s why we need Him in the first place. When you mess up, acknowledge that you feel bad about it, pray and repent, then move on. It’s easier said than done, but God will give you strength and always provide alternatives to falling into temptation!

God doesn’t want you to hide from Him when you make a mistake. You are His beloved child. He wants His Spirit to dwell in your heart and guide you. In Christ, we are no longer without direction or a home. The next time you're struggling to believe that God isn't far away, picture Jesus carrying you, the lost sheep, on His shoulders, celebrating.