On Being Far from God (on being far from God)

"We cannot enjoy the fellowship of God, or His protection, or all the benefits of the kingdom unless we remain in Him....live in Him--in our day-to-day lives."

"Satan's primary aim is to get us to do something outside of Christ, for then we are vulnerable."

God has promised never to leave us or turn His back on us. But that doesn't mean we can do those things on our own. Jeremiah 2:13 says: "For my people have done two evil things: They have forsaken me--the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!"

I know I'm not the only one who has ever felt like this: lost, empty, lacking, unsatisfied; knowing that the only thing that will quench this thirst is to be bathed, soaking in the presence of the Almighty God the Father. There is nothing worse than recognizing that this is what you need and being unable to attain it. Something stands between you and this perfect peace, and there's seemingly nothing else to do.

What gets in our way? What hinders us from being able to bask in the Father's presence all the time? I think I know the answer, but am unwilling to admit that that is actually my own problem.

I think it might be Sin. Sin is what hinders us, what keeps us far from the Father. Now, sin is a very broad term. It goes FAAAAAAAARRRR beyond the ten commandments. There were over 600 commandment-like rules in the old testament and then, in the New Testament, Jesus comes along and rewrites AAAAAALLLLLLL da rules.The quantity was less, but these new commands raised the bar. It took it past simply physical, outward obedience of laws and rules- the doing or NOT doing certain things. It went beyond 'doing' and infiltrated the walls of the heart, to the very core of our being. Our being. Not just what we do, or say. Not just what other people can see and gauge on their scales of right and wrong. The things Jesus asked of us went past that, straight into our motives for doing/saying those things, along with our thoughts before, during and after. They challenged us not just to DO holy, godly things, but to BE godly and holy. To become Christlike. 

"By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. " Romans 8:3 Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh and sin so that through His overcoming sin, death, and Hell, that we could be formed into His likeness. 

The problem is, we're human. We seek things outside of Christ that we think will satisfy us, the temporary fixes that make us feel a little better in the moment. We slip up and cuss. We have a bad day and we hurt someone in our anger. We get horny or emotional and seek sexual attention in the wrong context, outside marriage. We get desperate and depressed, so we abuse our bodies with drugs. Others hurt us or we make comparisons, becoming bitter and jealous, ultimately letting it eat us from the inside out.

We all do it. We all fail. We all fall. We can try and try and try to be perfect, and not slip up in big ways.But try as hard as you want, it's impossible to succeed. I've tried, and failed. EPICALLY. God's original intention was for us to live in perfect union with Him. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve screwed it up for all of us, so now we have to fight all day every day for that union with our Heavenly Father once more. Wrestling dirty thoughts, impure motives, anger, violence, abuse, theivery, adultury, and every other temptation so that we can stay with, abide in, the presence of our Father. The battle rages on. And in each moment, with each thought, each breath, each action, we must choose whether or not we will fight, and which side we will choose. The battle rages on.

But the war is already won!!! Victory is for Christ, and for you if you've chosen to live your life with and for Him. So, I'm telling you, TAKE HEART! And if you can't take heart, find something stable and hold on until the storm passes. Just don't let go, don't let the storms of life sweep you away. But know that Jesus says this: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”- John 16:33

This is the hope I cling to when the"'ness" of life gets to be to much. I'm overwhelmed, I'm overtired. I'm depressed, unemployed, and encountering way too many stupid problems as I try to do something about that. But I'm not done fighting. I may lay down my weapons and take a nap every once in a while. But I know, somehow, even if I don't feel Him, I'm resting in the arms of my Heavenly Father. And it's that realization that brings me back, and gives me that last little bit of strength to get up and fight another moment, another hour, another day, another year. I've lost battles, but as for me, I'm not lost yet. Not yet.