What it means to have an intimate relationship with Jesus and grow within him
Intimacy, we all intimacy in our lives from a relationship with someone for a spouse to people in our family with the ability to open up in a safe environment. Intimacy means you both know each other on such a deep level, you know each other’s secrets, thoughts, behaviors and so on. You may call each other certain names that only you know because you have that deep intimate relationship with each other. God desires this kind of relationship with us, sharing our thoughts, needs, wants, and issues with him to also rely and depend on him completely for everything. We can acquire this intimacy when we say that Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, giving ourselves to him entirely.
From the beginning of time back with Adam and Eve, God desired to have an intimate relationship with us, where we just sit and talk with him and speak with him every moment of everyday. God wants to know what is on our mind and on our hearts, from our deepest secrets and thoughts to our prayers and desires. Yes, God desires obedience over sacrifice and everything else, so he wants us to also listen his voice and allow him to speak in order to grow in obedience and wisdom. One way to start a relationship though is being strictly honest and open about our feelings, and sometimes – especially when you are coming to God for the first time or in a while – we can feel a bit intimidated. We may start to believe the lies that float in our head that God will not love us, that he will reject us, and that he wants nothing to do with us. This is the furthest things from the truth in order to keep you from going to God in the first place and giving him your life, go to him to seek this intimacy.
We can go to him when you declare that Jesus Christ is you Lord and Savior as you confess it with your mouth, once you do that and pray a prayer of repentance, your history is expunged. Absolutely nothing is on your books in God’s eyes, yes you might have questions and a mix of emotions, do not let that stop you from asking your Good Heavenly Father the questions he already can see. God can handle your questions, emotions, anger, and so, he created them and felt all of them when he was human on earth. Doing this helps you to understand his immense love regardless of how you think and feel and helps you to hear his voice. Slowly you the urge to read the word more and more, wanting to explore God for yourself and wanting to know his wisdom and voice. Asking questions and reading is how we learn more about our Savior, so why would he get upset at you trying to find answers?
This helps you to find how much he loves you and to develop the intimate relationship that he so deeply desires to have with us that he sent his one and only son to die in our place so we can live and talk with him every day. This intimacy should help us remember that no matter how much we stumble God will still love and forgive us, we are not perfect. It should remind us that God does hear our prayers for anything and yet he will answer them accordingly to his will and timing. This intimacy is what reminds us that we can rely on God solely for everything that we need in order to live the life he wants us to live. Reading and listening to his voice is how we also obtain wisdom. God gives wisdom to those who are earnestly looking for it and trying to find it themselves in order to be better people for his Kingdom.
In order to grow in wisdom, we must listen, listen for God’s voice, listen to those around us, listen to what they say and how they say it. Wisdom also comes from asking questions for answers that we desire, again, God will not get mad if you ask good questions in order to better yourself. Sometimes, the questions that we have may not be so wise to ask, God can see it anyway, so allow him to get it off your chest and soul in order to at rest within him. Wisdom is also best shown by living it out, not merely knowing about it, live the wisdom that you have been given and live with wisdom to being clarity. Wisdom should not bring confusion but clarity to the life God has for you, live it out and grow in it with God from listening to him and others and by reading his word daily. Let the bible transform your mind and renew your soul when you read it, let it read you as well in order to check your heart and motives.
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior allows us to speak with God directly, not having to offer sacrifices and going into a temple like before. Moses was able to speak with God face to face, yet sometimes we feel like we have to do so many things in order just for God to look at notice let alone speak to us. We have the ability and the command to speak with God when we can, regardless of how we feel for as long as we can. We are told it doesn’t require a sacrifice and it doesn’t have to be one person doing for us or in a temple. We are told to actually go to a private and quite place, shut out the world and listen with our hearts, listen for his quiet voice and wait for him to speak. We can speak with God directly face to face like Moses did without the fancy preparations that they needed to do in order to hear God. During this time, we can bring anything to him, concerns, requests, praise and honor – first and foremost – on top of prayers for others. While we can also call him our father as he provides for us, we can call him ‘Abba’ when we want because he wants us to depend on and listen to him daily. Do not let your sins bring you down, confess them to him and he will forgive, we will mess up, yet the Holy Spirit and Jesus will confess that we are his children and are covered by Jesus’ blood.
This intimate relationship isn’t in order to pray for a connection to God, it comes from connection with God. We gave God our lives because Jesus gave us his and then we receive the Holy Spirit as a down payment and reminder of us being his children. Obedience is what God desires the most and from that we also get the intimate relationship that he also wants us to have with him. Calling him ‘Abba, Father’ and reaching to him when we are in need and when we are not in need. Let the Holy Spirit be a reminder that you belong to the King of the Universe and have the same and more authority than Jesus did when he was on earth for his 33 years. Discover your intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father yourself and allow it to change you for the good knowing he will protect and guide you. May God bless you and help you through with his love and protection, Amen!