No Long-Distance Relationship - The Wesleyan Church

But as for me, it is good to be near God. (Ps. 73:28)

Expanded Passage: Psalm 73:21-28

“I hadn’t been home for two years.” “I didn’t hug my parents for over 800 days.” “We went to different schools and just didn’t see each other.” Do you have a story of a long-distance relationship? Communication technologies provide wonderful tools to meet, collaborate, and converse at a distance, but they are no substitute for proximity. It’s not just true of human relationships. For Asaph, who penned Psalm 73, there was nothing like being close to God. God takes Asaph’s hand, gives him strength, and protects his life.

Long-distance relationships don’t just make relationships difficult. They also bring about change. Perhaps, after a long time apart, you’ve spoken or heard a phrase like, “I hardly recognized you!” or “He didn’t come back the same person.” Once again, it’s not just true in our human relationships. Distance from God had made Asaph less human and more beastly (v. 22). Not just for Asaph but for us all, being away from God means being less and less who we’re made to be.

In a world with fewer travel limits, more employment opportunities, and greater communication technology, many of us have learned to cope with long-distance relationships. But not God. Being at a distance from God means death, destruction, and decay. God won’t settle for a long-distance relationship with us—not because God needs us, but because we need God.

Don’t settle for a long-distance relationship with God.

Aaron Perry serves as director of Wesleyan academic initiatives for Education and Clergy Development of The Wesleyan Church.