God is not a stalker

To illustrate this point I am going to use a passage from the book Stealing from God by Frank Turek.

I asked the ladies if they ever had a guy pursue them whom they didn’t want to date. Most smiles and one yelled out. I said, ”suppose this man continues to ask you out so many times that you finally say,’Look, I like you as a friend’”. Okay, suppose now that it doesn't deter him and he continues to pursue you, eventually saying he is going to force you to love him. Everyone agreed that was impossible and you cannot force someone to love you. Mr. Turek goes on the explain the same is true with God. God cannot force you to love him. Love, by definition, must be freely given; it cannot be coerced. Mr. Turek then asked the ladies if the man truely loved them, what should he do, and they agreed he would leave them alone. This is exactly what God does, he makes his presence known, but if we continue to turn down His invitations He will eventually leave us alone. (adapted from pages 222-223).

When God leaves us alone I do not mean he disappears from our life; but he does become quieter and less involved. As the Bible tells us in Mathew:

““What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God may be less actively involved in your life, this leaving you alone, but He is still pursuing you. He is not a stalker but he also loves you and wants the invitation to salvation to always be available.