Chapel ran from 10:00-11:00 a.m. five days a week. It was October 2008 at Valley Forge Christian College. I found myself contemplating graduation. Asking the same questions most every senior asks; Am I headed in the right direction? What am I going to do for the rest of my life? What does the next chapter entail?
Do you ever have an internal conversation like this? You debate with yourself about all the fear, anxiety, and doubt surfacing from the soul. Sometimes the questions haunt us more than the truth we know to believe. If a person shared the same thoughts from their own internal conversation, then we could easily encourage or answer the question. Yet, our answers for others do not always calm our conversations of the soul.
The worship leader sang “Enough” by Chris Tomlin. My head fell into my hands. I started to play out the scenarios for the future. When we plan our scenarios, we either paint the bleakest picture or the extreme best case possibility. Rarely does this practice underscore reality. In the midst of this tumultuous dialogue, a question arose to the conversation. What might God say to you right now?
A question like this causes a person to stop. Perhaps, you like me wonder where God is in the first place. We walk through life experiencing the detours and delays. Plans get thwarted. Disappointment seems to become the norm. We want believe in His grace, wisdom and sovereignty. We believe while also wanting Christ to help our unbelief.
I attempted to listen as my mind wandered listening to the worship leader. For just a moment, I began to confront the fear, doubt, and anxiety within my soul. Another question emerged; What if God is closer than you think? These internal conversations can expose the lies and enlighten the truth. The Gospel communicates to us the good news of God near to us. Christ, who not only walks with us, but has the credentials of humanity. A Savior that is closer than we could ever imagine.
Chapel closed. Since October 2008, I have learned to come back to the question, What if God is closer than you think? As you begin this week and the internal conversations emerge from your soul, this question can redefine your perspective.
Starting this Monday morning of work with tons of projects and pressure…
What if God is closer than you think?
Facing the future full of unknowns coupled with anxiety…
What if God is closer than you think?
Feeling stuck within the mundane and ordinary of life…
What if God is closer than you think?
And with all the doubt, pain, and struggle of being a human arising from your souls…
What if God is closer than you think?
Today, let us respond to our questions with questions. May we live with reality knowing the Savior is present with us. What questions have assisted you in your journey of following Christ?
Photo credit to Jessie Schnall, you can see more of her work at Portraits by Jessie.