Day 3: THE COST TO BE CLOSE
- katz4evr7
- Apr 16
- 4 min read
St. Matthew 16:24-25 – Then said Jesus unto His disciples, if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.
If I were to ask you if you want to be close to the Lord, you would undoubtedly say yes. If I were to follow that up with, are you willing to do whatever it takes to get closer to the Lord, you may still say yes, but probably with less enthusiasm. It’s expensive to walk with the Lord. Being close to God will require sacrifice, surrender, and suffering. The apostle Paul understood this but was not shaken from his desire to know the Lord, up close and personally. In Philippians 3:10 he says, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.
Some songs that we sing are sung without us really paying attention to the words. For example, we sing; “I’m Yours Lord, everything I’ve got. Everything I am everything I’m not. I’m Yours Lord, try me and see; see if I can be completely Yours.” The writer of those lyrics is directly asking the Lord to put their faith on trial; try me and see, see if I can be completely Yours. But don’t worry; whether we ask God to put us to the test or not, our faith will be put on trial.1 Peter 4:12 says, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial (which is to try you), as though some strange thing happened unto you.
As we go through our tests and trials it’s important to have the right mindset. We can never lose sight of the fact that we are the children of God. And whatever I’m going through, not only is God aware of it; but through it, God wants to bring me closer to Him. Our flesh will cringe at the means and methods that God will use to draw us closer to Him. Our flesh will even resist what God is trying to do. That’s why concerning the flesh, we have to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God.
Communion/Relationship/Friendship
We are relational creatures. God made us with a need to be in relationship with Him and others. God never intended for us to be isolated. That’s why family is important; that’s why friends are important; that’s why community is important; that’s why the church; the family of God is important. We need connection with one another. Life is so built and constructed that you will need somebody. We can’t say, “as long as I have God, I don’t need anyone else”. We need God and God uses people.
This is where our relationships and friendships come into focus. The true concept of what friendship is about is unfortunately being redefined. Friendships have been reduced to acquaintances and associates. This social media culture has done much to contribute to the deterioration of relationships. (Social media is killing our social skills). On social media you have a friends list, often filled with people you don’t know. Texting, instant messaging etc. is a helpful way for communicating quickly but is not meant to be the primary way to communicate; yet so many choose to hide behind their devices to communicate and in person they struggle to have conversations.
Struggling to Connect
Many in the church have failed to develop their relationship with family members and friends. Couples struggle being able to simply talk. Parents can’t get through to their children. Children would rather confide in their peers than go to their parents. The inability to talk breeds frustration; and frustration can lead to the dismissal of relationships.
Many in the church have failed to develop their relationship with the Lord. They haven’t invested quality time in the study and application of God’s Word; nor have they spent adequate time building a strong prayer life. They don’t pursue the presence of God in praise and worship. And as a result of these failures, it becomes hard for them to perceive the leading of God’s Spirit; the voice of the Lord is hard to detect, and God feels like a distant Presence in the skies.
This is not what God wants for His people. He wants us to know that He is near. He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).
PRACTICAL STEPS TO TAKE TO GET CLOSER TO GOD
Identify and remove things that distract you from hearing and focusing on God (read Hebrews 12:1)
Have daily bible study/devotional time in God’s presence (read 2 Timothy 2:15)
Increase prayer time and include fasting/meditating on God’s Word (read St. Matthew 17:21, St. Luke 18:1 and Psalm 1:2)
Organize/Manage your time more wisely to make more time for God (read Romans 13:11-14)
Stay in the fellowship of likeminded people (read 2 Timothy 2:22)
Journal your thoughts, prayers, goals (The Psalms are a collection of prayers, reflections, poems, etc of the experiences of the writers. They can be considered a form of journaling)
Stay humble with a contrite heart (read Isaiah 57:15)
From the heart and hand of Pastor Reginald Reaves
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