Then I got to thinking about how this is how I was treating God at a point in my life. It's really easy for even Christians to fall into a pattern of only praying before meals, big tests, or times of crisis. Prayers before meals morph into simply "going through the motions," prayers preceding tests become desperate (following halfhearted attempts to accurately prepare ourselves with what they've been equipped), and as a result, we often feel far from God during times of crisis.
God should not be our “back-up friend” who is the last one we go to. He doesn’t deserve to be our last resort. He deserves to be our Best-Friend, #1 Confidant, and so much more. When you get exciting news, do you tell your friend before God? If something really cool happens to you, do you thank God or do you forget? That’s the problem with this world. There are so many distractions that it’s a daily battle filled with preparing for the day, school, work, sports, instrument lessons, family-time, hanging out with friends, phones, and so many more things. But how much God-filled time do you partake in? These things aren’t bad until you become so wrapped up in them that they hinder you from drawing near to the Lord.
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James 4:8: “Come
near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and
purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
We should not be in the mindset of “I can live however I want, but I’ll still call myself a Christian. I’ll talk to God when I need Him.” No one likes a fair-weather friend. If you're a Christian, you should strive to act like it all of the time. Not just when it's convenient.
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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Go to him with your problems, your triumphs, your struggles, and your fears. Go to Him.
When we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us. Everything in life will not be pristine, perfect, and calm, but I know who holds my tomorrow. Best of all, I don’t have to worry.