EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD, PART 3

Just as it's essential to touch on expectations prior to delving into the definition of intimacy with God, it's equally important to address some misconceptions we have before we go into the specifics of what intimacy really are. This will help everyone to start on the same page.

THE FOREMOST MYTH OF INTIMACY WITH GOD:

"Intimacy is primarily about what He will do for us when we get close to Him"

Notice that at the heart of such thinking is self-centeredness. Remember that the greatest commandment from God is to "Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our minds". Asking yourself what God has done for you lately means that we are measuring the quality our relationship with Him by what He is doing for us at any given moment. God's reality should not be quantified by the number and intensity of His interventions in your life. 

Don't wait for a handout and not make active steps toward God. It's always easy to opt for the rush of spiritual adrenaline in a quick hit and not focus on the long haul. But like the seeds that fall on shallow soil (as mentioned in scripture), the seedlings die quickly unlike those that are deep-rooted and nourished by His word. Track Him through prayer, fellowship with other Christians and practicing the commands in scripture. Intimacy is characterized by steadfast faithfulness. We can die by simply waiting for handouts! Think old testament characters like Abraham and Joseph who waited on the Lord for years and in the meantime chose to be faithful to Him.

Finally, our lives should be driven by the eternity to come, and not by here-and-now experiences. Just as we know we need to work hard in our studies before the exams so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour later on, we need to strive hard for His kingdom to enjoy the eternity that is far beyond what we can humanly envision. In our strivings, we can certainly enjoy the satisfaction, sustenance and security from God. We may think that Christianity is about God pleasing us, but our ambition in life should be to please Him. Paul demonstrated his understanding of this in 2 Corinthians 4:8-18. 

INTIMACY IS ABOUT FAITHFULNESS NOW AND FULFILLMENT THEN - AND IN GOD'S TIME!