Separation Anxiety

"God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." -- Hebrews 13:5b, NIV

Most babies experience some form of separation anxiety beginning around 8 months. But as adult Christians we too sometimes experience separation anxiety from our Heavenly Father. I have a plaque hanging in my closet that's been there for years -- I've had it since my teens. It reads: "If you don't feel close to God guess who moved?" The Bible is clear that God will never leave us or forsake us. We can also take comfort in this promise found in Romans 8:38: "... neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Since we know that God is always there, why do we become so anxious about his silence? For me personally when God is silent I run through this helpful list from Elmer Towns' book, When God is Silent.

"God is quiet when (1) He is not ready to speak, (2) He is testing me, (3) He has already talked to me, (4) He wants me to make an important decision, (5) He knows I won't listen, (6) I forget what He has said, (7) something is hindering my ability to listen to God."

It's certainly not an exhaustive list but it is a good place to start. What does a child need when they are feeling separation anxiety? They need to get into their parents arms. That's the best cure I know! Run to Him; in time, He will speak.