Why Maintaining Closeness with God Is Difficult
We're prone to distraction rather than devotion.
One with God is off to a great start this week! Yesterday, the book hit the #1 spot in Amazon for Presbyterian Christianity, and the #6 spot in Best Sellers for Protestant Christianity! In the Kindle store, we hit the #1 spot in Presbyterian, Calvinist Christianity, and Systematic Christian Theology!
But that’s not the measure of success, is it? In recent months, my ultimate definition for a book’s success is simple (even if it sounds a little corny)—one changed heart. If a single follower of Christ can read the book and feel strengthened, encouraged, challenged, or inspired, that’s enough. Do you know why I say that? Because I know what it’s like to be that one Christian who is desperate for encouragement and growth, the one clinging to the hope that someone out there is praying for me, thinking of me, longing to help. And finding that help and encouragement meant so much to me, as I’m sure it did to God. A single changed heart is invaluable to God. So why should a book’s success have any other criteria? I’m praying this morning for that one changed heart.
Driven to Distraction
Now, one of the things I deal with in the book are the “obstacles to oneness,” the things that get in the way of our intimacy with God. The one I want to talk about very briefly here is distraction.
It’s ironic that most people are going to be reading this on a phone. Some studies have shown most people check their cell phones over 250 times a day. 250 times!
How many times a day do you pray? Just talk to him? How many times do you read the Bible? Once a day, maybe? Twice a day? Big numbers eat small numbers. If we don’t find ways to control our use of technology, things aren’t going to change.
And listen, I struggle with this just like other people. And I think one of the keys to making some changes doesn’t even start with looking at your phone less. It starts with talking to God more. Why don’t we talk to God all throughout the day? When we see something we love? Something we hate? When we buy something at the grocery store? When we’re running a few miles? We check our phones when all those things happen. Why not say something to God? Why not keep a Bible or a Bible App open all the time so that we can glance down and hear God’s voice. We need more of that, more of prayer, more Bible reading, more casual conversations with God, if we want oneness with him to start having a tangible impact on our daily life. It really is that simple. Building any strong relationship requires time and intentionality. Those two things: time . . . and intentionality. If we don’t give our relationship with God those things, are we really surprised when we feel distant from him?
Again, I’m talking to myself here, too. We all struggle with this. Maybe it’s one of our greatest struggles. But it’s not going to get any easier. And looking at screens a bit less (with the exception of a Bible app) might go a long way in encouraging other people to put their devices away, too. Who knows what God could with all the extra time?
There are lots of other practical causes I get into in the book, but distraction might be the most powerful disruption of our oneness with God in this day and age. All good and beautiful things require devotion. With God it’s even more the case. Learning to trade distraction for devotion is hard work, daily work—but it’s necessary work if we want deeper intimacy with God.