As believers, we can settle for an illusion of nearness to God. We can choose a lesser version of intimacy than the one we have been freely invited into. In the busyness of life, we allow our mornings to begin without him. We ask him for much before ever sitting at his feet. We become content with knowing about him rather than truly knowing him through real encounter and relationship.
Without realizing it, we exchange abiding for activity, communion for productivity, and intimacy for the appearance of closeness.
Over the past year, God has taught me a lot about what nearness to him looks like. He has reminded me over and over again that life is like a hallway with many doors. The doors represent various seasons and moments that we will walk through in this life. Some doors are filled with joy, other ones are deep with grief and sadness. Behind each one; however, is an opportunity to encounter the living God, who is near to us no matter what we are going through. Behind each door, I imagine him begging us not to depart from the nearness he offers. I imagine him crying out to you, believer, saying, โCome to meโ (Matthew 11:28โ30).
A month into motherhood, I have found myself in a new room of this hallway that we call life. Behind the newborn door lies various emotions. There is grief for the life we left behind, joy in the moments of pure bliss with our little ones, sadness in the loneliness that can accompany the hidden work of motherhood, and fear of the unknown.
You might be standing beyond the threshold of a different door. We each have been placed exactly where we are with significant purpose. Yet, in each place, we are tempted to miss the person who not only placed us there but is in the room with us. Maybe you are relying on your own strength, trying to make sense of this season apart from the truth of Godโs Word. Maybe you spend your day consuming Christian content, mistaking information about God for intimacy with him. Or maybe you bring your grocery list of needs before the Father without making his presence one of them.ย
Yet in the midst of temptation, God is faithful. He has overcome it.ย
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
โ1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
God does not simply provide a way out of temptation; he also offers us the promise of his presence in the midst of it. The invitation has never been to overcome temptation and weariness by our own strength but to simply come to the one who is already near to us.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.โ
โMatthew 11:28โ30 ESV
"To come" is to intentionally approach the Father with a posture of receiving. He looks upon his weary, burdened children with compassion and does not ask them to prove themselves before drawing near. Instead, he invites them to come just as they are. More than that, he doesn't merely extend the invitation, he commands it.
So to the one who is weary, God speaks three simple words:
โCome to me.โ
If we want to experience the beauty of Godโs nearness and not merely the illusion of it, then we must humbly come before him. We simply cannot skip the first part of Matthew 11:28.ย
We must heed the call and make a choice.
The truth is that what youโre facing now is not the last door you will likely walk through. As I said before, the hallway is long. And behind every door lies an opportunity to choose nearness. As you continue to walk the hallway, you are likely to pass through many doors. They will be different shapes, different sizes, and each will hold different challenges. However, the person behind them will always be the same. Our Savior extends the same invitation he has always given as he stands behind each one.ย
โCome to me.โ
For in his presence and nowhere else is there โfullness of joyโ (Psalm 16:11 ESV).
Will you come and experience it?ย
5 Steps for Daily Examen Prayer
Over the next week, take this to the Lord by practicing a โdaily examenโ at the end of each day. The prayer of examen is a historic practice, often associated with Ignatius of Loyola, that invites us to reflect on our days and become more aware of God's presence. Ask God to show you where you might be exchanging nearness to him for an illusion of it, and invite him to draw you back to himself.
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Step 1 : โCome to himโย
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Draw near and ask God to examine your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal, convict, and speak to you during this time of prayer and reflection.ย
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Step 2: Practice Thanksgivingย
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Give thanks to God for who he is and for his faithfulness throughout the day.
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If you don't know where to start, use this prompt:
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โGod, I am thankful. You were with me when . . .โ
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Step 3: Examine Your Dayย
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Look back on the day and ask God to reveal to you moments that you missed out on his presence, exchanged nearness for an illusion of it, or simply did not โcome to him.โ
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Step 4: Ask for Forgiveness
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Confess your sins to God and receive his forgiveness. โIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnessโ (1 John 1:9 ESV).
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Step 5: Look to Tomorrow
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Remember that God's โmercies never come to an end; they are new every morningโ (Lamentations 3:22โ23 ESV). ย Ask him to be with you in the days to come.
Photo credit: Jenna Martin
