I’m As Close to God as I Choose to Be
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8 (KJV)
Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. James 4:8a (NLT)
Question to Consider:
What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?
Understanding that I am as close as I choose to be allows me to put things into perspective. It is not God who leaves us, but we are the ones who drift away from him. We don’t do it intentionally, it is in the choices we make. When we choose not to do what he asks of us – when we know we should have volunteered to help someone, when we know we have been failing to assemble ourselves at church, or when we know we haven’t been fulfilling our ministry at church – these are all choices we make that distance us from God.
I want to grow closer to God, and I even know how – but I get in my own way and I don’t practice the things I know. So I will borrow the prayer from the book and pray it regularly throughout the day: “Dear Jesus, more than anything else, I want to get to know you intimately.”
Important Quotes:
“If you want a deeper, more intimate connection with God you must learn to honestly share you feelings with him, trust him when he asks you to do something, learn to care about what he cares about, and desire his friendship more than anything else.” (Warren, 92)
“God listens to the passionate words of his friends; he is bored with predictable, pious cliches. To be God’s friend, you must be honest wiht God, sharing your true feeling, not what you think you ought to feel or say.” (Warren, 94)
“Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship wiht God…” (Warren, 94)
“Expressing doubt is sometimes the first step toward the next level of intimacy with God.” (Warren, 95)
“Unbelievers often think Christians obey out of obligation or guilt or fear of punishment, but the opposite is true. Because we have been forgiven and set free, we obey out of love – and our obedience brings great joy!” (Warren, 95)
“The truth is – you are as close to God as you choose to be. Intimate friendship with God is a choice, not an accident. You must intentionally seek it.” Warren, 98)
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Kiesha holds a Master of Arts in English and is a graduate of the University of Toledo.
