Some things seem very far away. “This will never end. That will never happen. They’ll never change.” But in Jesus they become very close. Like this example of the Gentiles: from impossibly far to incredibly near in an instant….

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. – Eph 2:12-13

The same is true for us.

• The end to our suffering seems so far away we can lose all hope, or we can meet Jesus right now in the midst of it and find secret joy
• Wishing someone would change is a distant hope, but if we choose to be the ones changing then Jesus is right there transforming us into his glory
• Revival seems like such a remote possibility, but praying like Jesus taught us, for his kingdom to come, can happen right now (his rule and reign in my life)
• Finding the right place to serve in church can be a long journey, but recognizing we are the church and serving whoever can happen now
• Making disciples of all nations is far-removed from our daily lives, but discipling the people we know is very near

The far away, inaccessible things seem impossible, but it’s the close up, accessible ones that are the hardest, the costliest.

God is building us into a dwelling for his Spirit, and we can choose to join in being built up by participating in those difficult “near” decisions, instead of ruminating about the “far” ones out of our control.

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. – Eph 2:18-22

The best responses to our situations are also the most accessible.