Over the next few weeks [potentially months] I’ll be starting a Q&A series, where I answer questions I have had on my faith journey. Since giving my life to Christ, I have been on a spiritual roller coaster and I’m here to be transparent and share all the lessons I’ve learned along the way. God doesn’t want our relationship with Him to be a rollercoaster, and He has provided us with everything we need to grow closer to Him every day. So the first question on this new series is ‘Why can’t I ever seem to stay close to God?’

As followers of Christ, we want to know the heart of Jesus, we want to stay close to the heart of Jesus, and we want to love as He loves. Knowing the heart of Jesus means knowing Christ intimately. It allows us to know Him so well that we recognise Him even when He appears in ways we don’t expect. We often don’t see God the way we want to see God, or we don’t let God love us the way we want to be loved. But the closer we remain to the heart of Jesus, the better we will be able to recognise Him, no matter what form He takes.

Let me use an illustration to explain this. You have that one friendship that is healthy and thriving. You can be vulnerable, they are trustworthy and reliable, they offer honest advice and practical support [you get the drift]. Now what makes that friendship so stable and fulfilling? One reason, I suspect, is because you invest time in one another, talking and listening to each other and in general just enjoying each other’s company. If you never took time to be with each other, your appreciation [love] would almost certainly fade. The same is true with God. God loves us and wants us to spend time with Him every day. When we do, our relationship with Him will grow stronger. Take time to read and meditate on God’s Word, the Bible, and take time to pray, as well. A daily time alone with God–even if it’s only a few minutes at first–is the secret of a stable, fulfilling Christian life.

Make your prayer that of the Psalmist: “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you” (Psalm 63:1). Then set aside time to be alone with Christ every day and your relationship with Him will grow.