How to get close to God again (even when we’re busy and overwhelmed)

We’re more overwhelmed than ever, and our anxiety sabotages our spiritual peace.

That anxiety creates all kinds of different bottlenecks and idols in our lives — things that hold us back from experiencing the fullness of God.

Knowledge is usually mine.

When I’m anxious, discontent, not at peace, unsatisfied — I tend to look for books and articles that will give me insight and clarity. I look for peace in knowledge.

Sometimes I think, “oh, if I can just read an entire A.W. Tozer book that will give me peace”. Or, “maybe if I study some systematic theology volume I’ll be spiritually mature enough to be at peace more often”.

Or if I do a study of Romans. Or a study of this, or that…

My idolatry of knowledge can be so engulfing that I spent a good deal of time this week just researching how to learn faster — looking into book summary subscriptions, quote sites, and more.

So many Christians are in the same hamster wheel — reading more and doing more, but feeling more empty. We scour books and blog articles and research papers, just to satisfy our craving for some insight that will quell our anxiety.

Some of us do these things out of religious obligation — what Pete Scazzero calls “doing for God instead of being with God”. We commit to churchy responsibilities because that makes us feel accepted. It makes us feel a little less anxious.

But I think many of us have the right heart about these things. We truly want to read and do things because we really want God.

“I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion… I want all that God has or I don’t want any.” — A.W. Tozer

We’re in a world full of striving, doing and pushing. So we think that we have to strive and push to get to God.

Don’t get me wrong — we need to strive for God. Or maybe desire God — or crave Him — is a better way to say it. We need to desire Him.