Let's Talk About Intimacy

According to C.S. Lewis we are "half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us." Have you been there? Are you there now? Lewis goes on to say that we are far too easily pleased. Do you think that's true? Think about it for a minute...

There are so many things on this earth that can pull our attention away from God. Those things don't stop with drinking and sex...it could be money, our jobs, a hobby, sports, and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong: not all of these are negative things. It is when some of these things take our focus that it becomes a problem. Notice I said "take" our focus. They are, in fact, literally taking our focus away from God. We become so focused on them that they become our idols. And what is an idol? Something or someone that is regarded with admiration, worshipped, and becomes our focus over everything else.

Our idols can essentially become our one-night stands. They provide momentary pleasure but ultimately leave us empty and void of the deep joy that we are longing for. They seem to promise some sort of ultimate contentment, but they never really do. Chris Tiegreen says "they rob us of something far more valuable - an intimacy of infinite depth with a Lover whose love has no limits." That lover is God.

Do you feel like God is far away? I am learning that it is when I quiet myself, focus on Him, make my time with Him a priority and not a time that I try to fit into my schedule if it will work out, and then just listen, I can sense the very real nature of God Himself.

I have been known to say that I am not cut out to be in a relationship. That is not true. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I am called to have a relationship with God through Jesus and the intimacy of that relationship far exceeds anything that anyone else could ever offer. The intimacy with Him is not temporary - it is the most pleasurable that I could ever have with anyone.

Zephaniah 3:17 says: "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Allow God to quiet you with his love. Focus on your intimacy with Him. Know that He delights in you and made you to delight in Him.