Keeping God At Arm's Length

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." - James 4:8

I was thinking about the days - well years really - before I placed my faith in Jesus. People always thought I was a nice guy - polite - considerate - pretty smart. I really didn't give God much thought - sometimes on Sunday - but hardly ever the other 6 days of the week.  I never gave Jesus or the Spirit a thought. I kept God at arm's length. Kept my distance. No interest in the Bible. I went church because I had to - not because I wanted to. When I was there - my body was present but my mind was elsewhere.  The sermons and singing were like muffled background noises. The words lack meaning and were most often indistinguishable.  Know anybody like that?

Like teenagers I see today - texting someone during church - eyes fix on their phone - totally disengaged from the church service. What if you had to check your phone at the door when you went in to the service? But wait - some people don't own a printed Bible and if they do they leave it on the shelf or table at home. Perhaps as to not disturb the "dust". But I digress!

But then - one day - the Gospel made sense to me - to us, actually, Martie and me. Not gradually but more like a bolt of lightning. A jolt of electricity. Suddenly God was near - Jesus was relevant  - the Spirit was at work.  I wouldn't have described it that way on that day. No it was more like my thinking became clear. Like being in math class and suddenly you understand a formula - you have an "Ah ha" moment. But my understanding was deeper than a math formula in my mind. The understanding of who Jesus is and why I needed to yield my life to Him as Lord travelled all the way to my heart. It didn't just change my mind - it changed my life.

So many people had been talking to me about Jesus from 1969 to 1976 - but it was like the sermons and the singing - it was just noise - and something I really didn't want to listen to. But on the "fateful" or should I say "faith filled" Sunday - it suddenly made sense - and I could not hear it enough.

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 5:5-6

There is a song by Andrae Crouch, Take Me Back

"Take me back, take me back dear Lord To the place where I first received you. Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I First believed.

I feel that I'm so far from you Lord But still I hear you calling me Those simple things that I once knew, Their memories keep drawing me.

I must confess, Lord I've been blessed But yet my soul's not satisfied. Renew my faith, restore my joy And dry my weeping eyes."

I no longer wanted God to be at arm's length - but I wanted to be as close as I could get. And still do to this day.  How about you?

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone