Distancing Yourself From God

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - John 15:5-8

I want you to think about something for me. The last time God said no to one of your prayers or requests, how did you react? Did you pray just as fervently and consistently as you did when you were asking God for the thing He said no to? Or did you find it difficult to talk to Him as often? Did you stick to your normal routine of studying your Bible every day? Or did the bitterness and rejection you were feeling keep you from wanting to read God’s Word? Did you still wake up excited to go to church on Sunday morning? Or did the disappointment and confusion make you want to sleep in instead?

If you’ve found yourself in any, or all, of these situations, let me first encourage you that you’re not alone. I’ve been there. I’ve walked through seasons of heartbreak, disappointment, loss, and unmet expectations, and at some point in every single one of those seasons, I’ve been tempted to stiff arm God. Because let’s face it, it’s hard to be grateful, upbeat, and joyful when life isn’t turning out the way you thought it would.

But let me encourage you. The times when you’re tempted to distance yourself from God are the times you actually need to be drawing closer to Him. If you’re going to heal from the heartbreak, overcome the disappointment, and navigate the unexpected, you must draw near to your Heavenly Father.

When Jesus is using the vine and branch analogy with His disciples, He makes it very clear that if we aren’t connected to Him, we can’t do anything. If we distance ourselves from Him, we’ll never get through this tough season. We’ll never be able to fully move on from the hurt, the loss, the disappointment, and the frustration. If we don’t draw near to the Lord, we won’t be capable of navigating the unexpected.

So if you find yourself in a place right now where God has withheld something from you, something you really wanted, don’t walk away from Him. Don’t put up a wall in an attempt to distance yourself from your Father in Heaven. Instead, draw near to Him. Spend time with Him, and as you do, the Lord will do a work in you. You may start out in a place of bitterness, hurt, and heartbreak. But as you come closer to God, He will move you to a place of peace, healing, and hope.