Countless young Christians today feel shallow in their relationship with God. They want to be close to God—they attend church every Sunday, read their Bible daily, and quit their old habits of sin—but they feel distant. They do not feel His presence, they do not hear His voice, and His heart is unknown to them.
Perhaps you feel this way. I did for years, and it was a very discouraging place to be. I genuinely wanted to follow Jesus, but felt like I hardly knew him. The heart changes and spiritual experiences that I heard others talk about were far from my reality. I wondered if I simply wasn’t cut out for faith, or if God just couldn’t change me.
Why is it that so many Christians experience this shallowness? Is it possible to have a deeper faith, to actually be close to God?
YES! It is not only possible, it is God’s desire for you.
Then why do I feel so distant?
You may be thinking, If it’s God’s desire for me to be close to Him, why aren’t I?
First, let’s make something clear. God is with you. The Psalmist says in Psalm 139:7-8, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God is never far off, even if it feels like He is. This is because he is omnipresent, existing everywhere at the same time.
More than that, the Holy Spirit lives inside of every Christian. In John 14:16-17 and 16:7-14, Jesus talks about this, explaining that the Holy Spirit will help, teach, convict, and sanctify His people. How amazing is that? God actually lives inside you!
Now, if God is always with us, what is the reason so many of us feel far away?
Because we are seeking the wrong things.
Seeking God
Jeremiah 29:13-14a says, “‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity,’”
God makes it clear that anyone who seeks Him with all of their heart will find Him.
Oxford Languages defines “seek” as [the] attempt or desire to obtain or achieve. We all seek something, and it is easy to see what it is when we look into what we focus our energy and desire.
What are you seeking? Happiness? Success? Comfort? Acceptance?
God wants to have a close relationship with you. He is near, and He is willing to be found by you. But you have to seek Him with all of your heart. This is not easy, and it means laying down whatever else our heart is seeking after.
But let me encourage you, friend. Making the decision to seek God will lead to the fullest life. We were created to have a deep relationship with our God. Through Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection, we are able to have this relationship, and we can be made whole! But you must choose to leave the old life behind and seek God with all of your heart.
How do I seek God with all of my heart?
Seeking God is not making a one-time decision to follow Him. To seek God is to make the daily decision to focus our energy and desire on knowing Him.
Although we were created for this, our sinful nature makes it impossible. Paul says in Romans 3:10-11, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” Perhaps you know you need to seek God, but it is a struggle to actually do it. How then can we overcome our sinful nature?
Remember who lives inside of you?
It is the Holy Spirit’s work to make us more like Christ—from overcoming sinful habits to changing the desires of our hearts. If we want to seek God, the Holy Spirit can help create that desire in us!
The first step in seeking God with all of your heart is to ask Him to help you. He is faithful to hear and respond to our honest prayers. Do not feel like you have to be strong enough to love God on your own—nobody is, and that’s the purpose of the gospel! Ask Him to change your heart so that your desires are for Him.
As I mentioned earlier, this is not a one-time prayer, but a daily choice to make. Beginning every day with the prayer for God to change your heart is a great way to do this.
You may be thinking now, that’s great, but what am I supposed to do? Good question! While it is God’s job to change our hearts, we do not simply sit and do nothing! There are definitely things you can do to be closer to God.
Just don’t neglect the importance of this first step!
What practical steps can I take to be closer to God?
1. Spend time getting to know Him
Part of pursuing someone is getting to know them—their personality, their story, what they love, the list goes on. It is no different with God! Be intentional about getting to know Him.
Of course, the best way to do this is by reading your Bible. The Bible, often referred to as “God’s Word,” is the best way to learn about who God is and what He is like. When you read, look to learn something new about Him. It is tempting to read the Bible as a devotional for application, but reading it to learn about God is even more important! It is His story!
Another way you can get to know God is in spending time with His people. It is important to seek God in community, not on our own. The Bible encourages Christians to meet up often, and part of the reason is so we can talk about the truth about God with each other. Share what you are learning, but also take time to listen to other Christians—especially those who are older and more mature than you. You may just learn something you did not know about Him before!
2. Bring Him into your daily life
It is also so important to invite God to live life with you! Do not separate your personal life from your spiritual one! God wants to be involved in everything, so invite Him in.
This can look like talking to Him about the things on your mind, picturing Him walking next to you as you walk down the street, or thinking about Him as you complete daily tasks. He is always with you, so live like that’s true!
3. Worship Him genuinely
The final step I will offer you today is to spend time worshipping God. We often picture worship as singing at church, but it is actually much more than this. Worship is bringing God glory, and there are many ways we can do this. You can worship through music, art, writing, or even daily work!
The heart behind worship is to reflect on who God is and what He has done, and to praise Him for those things. If you worship through music, consider the truth of the words you are singing and let the music bring the joy out of you! If you worship through art, bring glory to Him in what you create. If you worship through your work, live out Colossians 3:17: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Remember what He has done in your life, recall what an amazing God He is, and let yourself get excited about those truths!
If you are feeling shallow, I hope these words have been an encouragement for you today. It is not easy to seek God—you cannot be passive in your pursuit. But it is more than possible. God wants to know you, and He wants you to know Him!
Do not be discouraged, friend. I am praying for you! 🤍
love, Anna
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