Walking With God or Intimacy?
Iam someone who has tried to follow Jesus for a really long time. Like most Christians I have had my ups and downs, my successes and failures in following him. There have been seasons where I’ve been more like Jesus and others where I’ve been less like him.
Over the last few years there has been a question that I have continually asked myself, “How can I experience greater intimacy in my relationship with God?”
This question has haunted me. It forces me to go beyond the churchy canned responses that I have on the ready for, “How’s your walk with God?”
Responses like this…
Well, since God has promised to never leave me nor forsake me, I suppose my walk is fine. I mean, he picks us up and carries, and all that baloney, right?
When I started wrestling with this question of intimacy with God I couldn’t have some sort of intellectual ascent to a notion of belief or faith. No, intimacy with God is something that demands relationship. It demands a two way engagement. If I’m experiencing intimacy with God then I feel like he is hearing me and responding. If I’m experiencing intimacy with God then I feel like I am hearing him and responding.
You need to know that writing the word intimacy is creepy for me. I don’t really like talking about “intimacy”. It feels weird and gushy.
Intimacy with God is something that is relatively hard for me to put my hands around. I know when I’m experiencing it and I know when I’m not. Yet, there’s no formula or prescription to make it happen. I have been noticing that when I do feel this kind of reciprocal connection with God there are some things that are typically true.
During these times there has been a season of connecting deeply in community. To be a Christian is to be someone who is part of the larger body of Christ. I am finding, that for me, to experience intimacy with God I need to be experiencing deep relationships with his people.
Another factor is that I’ve been spending time in the Scriptures meditating, praying, and studying. When I’m not regularly filling my mind and heart with the Scriptures then I find it hard to experience intimacy with God.
Also, I have spent time with people who are not Christians. These people challenge me and make me think about my faith. They help me to see into the mystery and nuances of who God is and what it means for us to follow Jesus.
Finally, I have found that praying through the Psalms moves me to pray differently. They are our family songs, so to speak, and they draw out my emotions. The Psalms provide for me something to hold onto as I try to draw near to God.
Like I said, there’s no formula. Sometimes all this is happening and I don’t feel any intimacy with God. But, on the whole, I have found as I practice these consistently in my life that intimacy with God is not far off.
I would love to hear what you do to develop closeness and intimacy with God. Drop your thoughts in the comments below…
