Wednesday, June 18, 2008

EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD - PART IV

In the last posting, I cautioned against equating intimacy to how much He is doing for us. That was the first myth. Here I'll talk about several other myths we must beware of:

MYTH #2 - Intimacy is about an informal buddy-buddy relationship with God. 

We should not expect a backslapping chumminess with God. Instead our relationship with Him would always be marked by a sense of awe and respect, even when we enjoy sweet moments of close fellowship with Him.

MYTH #3 - The experience of intimacy is the same for us all.

As mentioned before, it is dangerous to try to pour ourselves into the mold of someone else's experience. People from different cultures and with different personalities will experience Christ in a wonderful variety of ways.

MYTH #4 - We can experience the fullness of intimacy with God in the here and now.

Our limitations are too severe. Since the fall of man, we became subject to our physical vulnerabilities and emotional state. Our participation in society prevents us from spending all our time in contemplative solitude. Now we should live for the day when we will enjoy His presence unhindered.

MYTH #5 - We can experience intimacy with a partially surrendered life.

We don't need to be perfect but we certainly need to be fully surrendered. That entails living a life in submission and obedience to the Lord. Though we fail, an immediate repentance and refusal to become entrenched in failure will keep us on the path toward Him. 

REMEMBER: We are to love the Lord our God with our ALL our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37). 

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