Gospel of John Study: Part 14 - Richard E. Simmons III

Where am I in my relationship with God?In I Peter 2:25, Peter writes, “For you are continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and the Guardian of your soul.” I love that phrase, the “Guardian of your soul”. Peter is writing to a group of Christians who were suffering persecution, going through a difficult time, and he’s saying to them, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and He’s the Guardian of your soul, when you stay close to Him. As he writes, Peter says that the problem is that we are continually straying like sheep. Even as Christians, either we are drawing near to God, or we are drifting away from Him. In looking at my own life and in interacting with men and counseling with them, I've observed that usually when you drift away from Him, you’re not really aware that it’s happening.It’s usually happening when you’re real busy, and you’re thinking, "I can get back to this later, but I’ve got to get through this over here..."This is the last message in our 14-part series of the study of John! As we wrap up this study, I would challenge you with these words to think about. Am I diligently seeking God, and seeking to hear from Him and drawing close to Him each day? Or am I at a point in my life where I’m just kind of slowly drifting away, or just kind of drifting?I share this, because it’s so apparent that the state of our spiritual life is ultimately our responsibility. And that’s why we’re told, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."