Five Reasons You Might Feel Far from God
Everyone at times feels like they are far from God. There are some real reasons you might feel far from God and some false reasons you might feel far from God.
“Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 1:3
Bill Stevens
1 . Physical problems. Your health can play dangerous games with your emotions. I was in my early 30’s and thinking I was far from God and God was against everything I was doing – and I was a pastor. I broke down crying in the yard trying to fix a simple belt on my lawnmower, because a 5 minute job became a 2 hour job. These kinds of things had been going on for months. It was not a spiritual attack, or that I had left God, or God had left me. I was diagnosed with hypo-thyroidism (low) which affects your mood, energy, concentration, and a whole host of other things. Once I got on my thyroid meds, it was like a “miracle” – God was there, I felt better, and things were not confused. Sometimes you simply need you need a checkup to see what your bloodwork says. Everything is not a spiritual problem.
2. Relying on Feelings too much: Emotions are a great servant, but a terrible master. Feelings can and will deceive you. Everyone has had a bad feeling about something only to be overwhelmingly proven wrong. So, if you listen to your fickle emotions as the guide of your life, then you will be tossed around like a pool floatie in a hurricane. You will never have stability. Relying on the truth is your best option no matter how you feel. Here is the truth. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). So, walk by faith in the truth of God’s word, not in the fickleness of your feelings.
3. Dry Season: We all have dry seasons where we feel disconnected and empty, but these are temporary. You are doing the right things, believing the right things, walking by faith, yet you are spiritually attacked and wondering where the presence of God is. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days to fast – and He faced the same dry season that we all face. But just like Him, stand strong, and when you come out the presence and power of God will be with you in new and unusual ways! Expect it!
4. You have wandered away. Ok, so we had to get to this one. Yes, you know God personally but you have slowly stopped seeking Him. Maybe you felt disillusioned by some hard things you have gone through. Maybe you wandered off into some sinful habits that have slowly eaten away at your time with God and you have kept those things stuffed, and not confessed. Maybe this has taken you into some very bad areas. God still loves you, cares for you, and understands. He knows your weaknesses, knows everything you have done, and still unconditionally loves you! No conditions. Just turn to Him, ask Him to forgive you, and help you out of that muddy ditch you are stuck in, and He will come quickly to your help! That’s Grace! That’s God, our gracious and merciful loving Heavenly Father! That’s Jesus! Return to Him and He will return to you.
5. You have never become close to God to begin with. This is a possibility. I went through 11 years thinking I had a personal relationship with Christ only to be awakened to the fact that I never felt close to God because I had never been close to Him. Turn to Christ Jesus today, place your faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for your sins, allow Him to be the Lord (leader/boss/master) of your life, and receive the free gift of eternal life. Pray something like this… “Dear God, you are the only God and Jesus is the only way to you, please forgive me of my sins, I trust in Jesus’ death as the payment for my sins, I want to follow Him, I want you to be the Lord (leader) of my life, I surrender my heart to you. Please save me.” The Bible promises that whoever calls upon Christ to become Lord of their lives will have eternal life and be amazingly close to God. (See Roman 10:9-13)
Thank you, Father, that no matter how I feel, you are still near me, and you are as close as the name of Jesus! Help me to call out to Jesus when I feel far from You. Help me to stay close to you each day. Amen.