There is much written about the stages of a relationship. Some models have 4 stages, others have 9. The lowest level is usually labelled as “acquaintance” and the highest “intimate”. It is healthy to have people at all levels of relationship in our lives. As people move up the stages toward intimacy, trust is developed and more and more of self is shared. Of course, the numbers decrease the higher we go. Experiences of betrayal, rejection and abandonment in our past hinder our ability to let people reach the higher levels which often results in feelings of loneliness regardless of how many people fill the lower levels.

 

God desires an intimate relationship with us. He loves us unconditionally and promises to never leave us. He calls for us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Entering into a relationship with God at the point of faith in Christ creates a relationship with God but does not automatically result in an intimate relationship. Of course, at the point of faith, we get ALL of God’s love so there is nothing in God that hinders the growth into intimacy. Our journey with God is one of us learning to trust Him more and more and giving ourselves to Him in ever-increasing measure. The problem is desire. Our human relationships grow toward intimacy because we desire to get closer with that particular individual. When we come to faith, God puts a desire in us for intimacy with Him. However, self (our flesh) and the world around us create desires that are in conflict with God’s desires. This conflict described as flesh vs spirit in Galatians 5 creates a scenario where we must choose (we are right back in the Garden).

 

Rev. Wilbur Rees, a long time Church of Christ minister wrote a book in 1971 entitled, “$3 Worth of God”. Here is the most famous quote from that book:

“I would like to buy $3 worth of God please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of God to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.”

 

Wow! Rev. Rees was ministering in the deep south in the 70’s so we might need to update the quote to include different social choices but the sentiment remains the same. Here is the takeaway. Our experience of intimacy with God is directly related to our desire for intimacy with God which is evidenced in our daily choices between flesh and spirit. I do know this. He is always inviting us deeper… but leaves the choice to us. Choose life!

 

Jeremiah 29:13

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”