SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1121

“Spiritual Distance”

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; – Matthew 15:8

During this pandemic time we are encouraged to wear a face mask and maintain a six foot social distance apart from other people. We need to avoid touching them or surfaces they have touched and to frequently wash and sanitize our hands. For many people in retail and service industries social distancing can be a challenge.

As I reflected upon these pandemic guidelines it occurred to me that many of us who profess to be Christian have been practicing spiritual distancing from Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We have been spiritually self-isolating ourselves from Him except for the occasional church appearance at holidays, funerals, weddings and the like. We who are spiritually distanced from Him are the ones Jesus speaks of when He says that they honor Him with their lips but their hearts are far from Him.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

Our world is in a difficult place right now. Now is the time to close the spiritual gap between us and Jesus.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. –  Hebrews 10:22

Are we experiencing the beginning of the ‘birth pains’ of the end times? Maybe – maybe not.

…See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet…there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. – Matthew 24:6-8

Our global travel and interpersonal connectivity has allowed this virus to spread faster than any other in human history. Now is the time to practice safe social distancing from each other and now is also the time to get close and stay abidingly close to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. – 1 John 2:28

Like Peter, James, and John, now is the time to move into Jesus’ inner circle of friends.

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. – John 15:15

Close the spiritual distance gap between you and Jesus and hear Him speak to your heart, ‘Fear not’.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33