"Nearness"

By Zach Wood

James 4:8a

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

 

 

I once owned a shirt that said, "Are you far from God?  Guess who moved?"  Every time I looked at it, it challenged me to think about how close my walk with Christ was.  Since then, I have lost that shirt.  It probably got thrown out into a box to be pitched somewhere.  I really do not know.  But I still remember that shirt and the message it portrayed.  So many times in our lives, especially during busy times of the year, it gets easy to lose sight of how important our walk with Christ is.  Not that we intentionally walk away from our relationship for Him, but we slowly focus on other things that draws us away from our constant fellowship and communion with Him.

 

Even with all the beauty of the Christmas season, the ultimate beauty of His love and forgiveness should draw us closer to Him.  I enjoy the beauty of the Christmas season.  The lights, the snow, the music, the trees, it's all so wonderful to gaze upon!  But with all of this going on, we must stop to remember why all of this is possible for us.  We would not even be here to celebrate such a wonderful event if it were not for His sacrifice. 

 

I have personally learned that I really need to stop all my activities for the day and remember to take time to focus solely on my relationship with God.  It becomes so very easy for me to lose my sight of who Christ is and think about all the festivities going on around me.  One thing I have been struck by is how so many people have decided to cut back this year on gift buying.  This is not just because of the economy, but also because some have just decided that Christmas time is not just about gifts to each other.  So many people focus more on fellowship now and just being with family and friends.  That is really neat.

 

So, am I trying to tell you that all your gift buying and focus on Christmas exchanges is wrong?  Absolutely not.  I am sharing with you all just a simple reminder of what this season truly is all about.  It is about Jesus Christ coming into this world in the most profound way and living the life of perfection that He lived and then dying the most horrific anyone could die.....for YOU and ME.  That is what is amazing! 

 

God calls us to come near to Him.  Through the hustle and bustle of every day life and through this season, it is easy to let things slip and drift away because of distractions.  God wants to be near to us, but we must make that extra effort to sit down and just take time to be near to Him.  He has not moved...but we do.  Are you near to God?