Going the Distance: Growing Closer to God

At the beginning of every Pilates class, I have this one instructor who always encourages us to set a goal.

Before we can even start moving, she’s asking us to think about what we would like to accomplish for today’s session. Maybe it’s holding a position a little longer, improving our form, or simply making it through the entire workout without giving up. Which I have yet to achieve.

Her intention is to challenge us to go beyond what we are normally able to give in order to cultivate progression within us. She wants us to recognize that there is always another level we can reach, another place we can grow, and another opportunity to push beyond our current capacity.

While we sometimes focus on the fact that we at least showed up, or maybe even maintained a consistent level of effort, it can be easy to overlook the need for progression. We can become so focused on maintaining where we are that we never challenge ourselves to move beyond it. And when maintenance becomes the goal, growth eventually becomes optional.

In Exodus 33, we see Moses carrying that same intention toward the Israelites.

At this point in their story, we find them in the aftermath of creating a golden calf. Not knowing what had happened to Moses, who had been gone for 40 days to meet with God, they desired to make for themselves an idol who would lead them forward instead.

And it’s interesting because, prior to Moses going up, the people had entered into covenant with the Lord, establishing their commitment to Him and His commands.

Yet their response to the delay of Moses coming down from the mountain revealed something deeper happening within their hearts. All that the Lord had done to deliver them from Egypt seemed to be forgotten. To them, the time that had passed began to feel like abandonment and a lack of concern for what was next.

Unable to understand why God had permitted the delay, they instead allowed it to cause them to drift away from Him. Their hearts became more focused on what they couldn’t see rather than on what God had already spoken. And instead of continuing forward in their relationship with God, they regressed to what was familiar and created something they could see, something they could control, and something they ultimately believed could lead them into what was next.

So they gathered all of the gold earrings they were wearing and formed them into the shape of a calf, revealing just how much restoration was needed in their relationship with God.

And that’s where we find Moses in Exodus 33, creating a space where the people could seek the Lord again. Their current level of commitment demanded growth in order for them to move forward. They could not continue in the same patterns that had brought them to the place they were in and expect to experience something different.

So Moses takes the tent and pitches it outside of the camp, some distance away. If they wanted to seek God, they would now have to make an intentional journey to do so.

And in many ways, this journey would reveal what was truly in their hearts. It would draw out their love for God while simultaneously requiring them to leave behind the ways of old that had hindered their growth to begin with.

The journey itself became an opportunity for progression.

Every step toward the tent represented a willingness to move beyond where they had been. It was no longer an option to remain in the same place if they wanted to experience another level of relationship with God.

There was more available to them, but accessing it required them to move.

And perhaps that is what God is inviting us into as well. There is always an opportunity to push beyond our current capacity in our walk with Him. But progression requires movement. We cannot continue doing what we have always done and expect to arrive at a place we have never been.

So that can look like moving beyond convenience. Going the extra mile to pursue God even when it doesn’t fit neatly into our schedules.

Being willing to be set apart. Not focusing on what others may or may not be doing, but determining in our hearts to do whatever is necessary to get to Jesus.

Not allowing familiarity to become a stumbling block. Refusing to become so accustomed to the things of God that we lose sight of the reverence He is worthy of.

And allowing God to stretch us. Not resisting Him when He nudges us to do something outside of our comfort zone, but trusting that He may be inviting us into a place of growth.

If we’re honest, I’m sure all of us can identify at least one area in our relationship with the Lord that could use some progression. We’ve been maintaining a consistent level of effort for a while now, and it’s time to move beyond our current level of capacity.

As we go about our week, I encourage us to set a goal for ourselves. Not simply of what we want to accomplish, but a determined purpose for drawing closer to Him.

Ask yourself: Where is God inviting me to go the distance?

Maybe it’s one area where you can move beyond convenience. Perhaps He’s asking you to leave something behind, or asking you to stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Whatever it may be, let this be a moment where we don’t simply talk about progression, but actually move toward it.

And so my prayer for you today is that you will feel revived in your pursuit of Christ. That the Lord would stir up a fresh hunger for His presence and awaken within you a desire to know Him more deeply than you do today. May He give you the grace to move beyond convenience, the courage to leave behind anything that hinders your growth, and the willingness to respond when He calls you beyond what is familiar.