Have you ever seen that saying on a church sign? “If you don’t feel close to God, guess who moved?” I’d seen it a few years ago for the first time. I thought it made sense, actually. It’s implication is that if I do not feel very close to God, then I’ve gotta get on my (figurative) horse and get closer to Him. It’s saying that I’ve done the drifting if I feel that way. And again, it made some sense to me. I think know we all have a responsibility to invest time/effort/intention in our relationship with God.
Last week my wife and I were driving and happened to see the same message on another church sign. We began talking about it and realized that this wasn’t always true. For one thing, it’s basing things on feelings. Feelings are great, but they shouldn’t be the final thing we base our relationship with God on. But also, isn’t it possible for God to pull back now and then? I mean, never will He abandon us. Never will He turn His back on us. But doesn’t he sometimes let us do a few things on our own to grow us, to teach us, to mature us? Kinda like parenting (to a degree). And ask Job about God pulling back a little bit. Do you think he knew anything about those situations?
i agree with you in theory… but i think the former happens way more than the latter. The saying makes it seem based on feeling, but i'd also argue that most of the time, it's fact. It's not that hard to figure out which is happening anyway, you even talk about it in your first paragraph… we have to invest the time… so if we're investing the time, effort, etc into staying close to God, and He begins to seem distance, than it's the latter… but if we're not investing the time, it's most definitely the former. Again, i'd say more times than not, it's the former…
in any case, cheesy marque's annoy me.
oh, but it's good thoughts.
What has bugged me is God "hardening the hearts" of people, seemingly so they wouldn't accept or follow him. I've never quite understood that. Was all of that "hardening" going on BEFORE the time of the risen Christ?
I agree with "the freak" that, in most cases, distance from God is probably of our own doing. I can also see your point: God "letting us hang ourselves" every once in a while in order give us an opportunity to realize (hopefully) the right path/Path. A learning experience.
man, you guys are deep. 🙂 i tend to agree more with the "marquee sign". whenever i realize that i'm not as close to Him as i should be and i start looking around wondering "what happened?" i can usually backtrack to my not hanging out with Him (praying, reading, meditating, worshipping, etc.)like i should be. james 4:8 (is it cheating if we quote scripture on these things?) says that if we'll draw near to God then He will draw near to us. isn't that a promise? i think that He really desires to hang out with us way more than we tend to want to hang out with Him. maybe i'm wrong. these are just my thoughts. but i do agree that sometimes it seems like He allows us to go through drought times for the purpose of stretching us…but i think He's there the whole time…He just may be being silent for awhile. just my rambling thoughts. by the way, i really enjoy reading ya'lls blogs. ya'll have some good insight on spiritual matters.
I think that this has the potential to devalue a legitimate human condition. The assumption is that if we feel distance from God, then we have done something wrong. The assumption is that if we feel anything but right on track, then that is something undesirable.
I disagree.
A big part of my spiritual journey (and in fact my political and intellectual journey) is doubt. One of the natural parts of my relationship with God is feelings of doubt and struggle. I don't see that this is something that I have done wrong, or that I need to "fix".
There is value in this from some perspectives and for some people it may be true. But at the same time, there are many different ways of connecting with God, which I don't think God minds at all.
I've been a christian for a few years and believe it or not I don't have a personal relationship with God. I know the bible pretty well, I use to pray (though most of the time the prayers bounced off the walls) and i'd try to worship God although i hate singing.
I long to be close to God and to have a intimate relationship with him. I pray for revelation etc but as time goes on, nothing happens. So to heck with the "if God feels faraway, guess whose moved" saying. Some ppl yearn to have the closeness with God, try their best and nothing happens. Im proof of it 😐
Stay open to Him, Nessa. Keep praying; He hears you. (Worship doesn't require singing.)
Thanks for the encouragement giddy 🙂
Some days usually at night is when I feel close to god , I can feel his presence within my soul. I usually cry when this occurs, realizing how bad I am compared to god. And then the crying is turned into a happy feeling befor I sleep. I hope to get closer to him. What must one do. Sometimes I feel lost, I feel Im in a place where the only thing to do is work at a job you dont enjoy, then come home and be surrounded by possesions and a family which isnt enough. I prey from my heart through out the day about 15 times for anywhere from 30seconds to 5 minutes. Is it true the only way to be and feel close to god is to be and heaven , but until then I will remain to worship on the earth