A Reason for Fellowship

I had a conversation the other day that gave me a glimpse into how I am currently relating to the Lord. It was a bit surprising to hear my response to the question, “where do you feel like God is?” The first thing that came to mind was, “it feels like He’s on the other side of the moon.”

Ok, I have been keeping up with the Artemis II’s journey as they went to the far side of the moon and are presently returning to earth – super cool by the way! So, the moon was on my mind. But, what surprised me was naming that I felt like God was far away.

We live in a world that is incredibly fast-paced and efficiency seeking. Those things aren’t necessarily bad, but like a car you neglect getting serviced, there can be things moving in the wrong direction under the hood if we don’t stop and take a self-assessment every now and again.

To carry on with the analogy, this wasn’t a check engine light issue, I wasn’t about to blow up, but it was helpful to have been brought to my attention. See, how we relate to the Lord really does matter. If my view of the Lord is that He’s a close, loving Father, well that’s going to shape how I relate to him as opposed to if I think He’s distant and uninterested in me.

Here’s where things can get murky. Whether I think about Him as close or distant, I could spend time with the Lord via prayer, read His Word, and think about Him. My outward actions and practices may look exactly the same, but my inward reality is much different.

If I’m choosing to set aside time to commune with God and I believe that He’s close and intimately involved in my life, the fruit of that can be something of true beauty and connection. However, if I’m setting aside time to talk to God and I think He’s thousands of miles away and looking in a different direction, well that can breed resentment and frustration in my heart.

So, what do we do? The Bible is filled with the charge to fellowship. It’s imperative that we surround ourselves with and are being built up by brothers and sisters who will speak truth into our lives. See, by doing life with other believers we get to sharpen one another, we get to point out areas of misunderstanding, and we get to encourage and love each other into the depths of the Lord.

Let me ask you, friend, how are you currently relating to the Lord? Is He close, far, loving, uninterested? Be honest, this isn’t the time for a Sunday School answer. And can I remind you that however you answer – it’s ok!

It truly is God’s desire to know you and I. He loves us with an agape love which means His love for us is not predicated on whether we love Him back or not. There is nothing we can do to “get” Him to love us any more or any less.

However you responded to the above question, I want to encourage you to spend time with fellow believers. Find a trusted individual, take them to coffee, and ask the tough questions you have.

Paul tells us time and again that we, as believers, are part of one body. When we see someone doing well, let’s encourage them. If you see someone struggling, find a way to serve and support them. Yes, the Body of Christ is meant to go out in the world, but it’s also just as important that we take care of one another. In doing so, like what happened to me, you just mind a simple question revealing a need you didn’t know you had.