I've been thinking recently about intimacy. Most of the time we think of intimacy in terms of sex. Years ago I heard a great quote: "Sex doesn't create intimacy; it is a celebration of intimacy". So what exactly is intimacy anyway? How do you create it?
As I thought about this, I recognized that I often use the term intimacy in relationship to God (so obviously there is no sexual connection to this use of the term). I also recognized that I'm not sure I can sufficiently explain what I mean by the phrase 'intimacy with God'. This is a problem.
Jason Upton sings about the Key of David being intimacy. It's like it's become part of the Christian 'lingo' but do we understand what it actually means?
It's widely understood that our relationship with our earthly father will dynamically impact our view of God as Father. So here's a question: if our framework for the father-heart of God is impacted that way, then what about our framework for understanding and entering into intimacy with God? How important is the existence (or lack thereof) of intimacy in our human relationships in allowing us to experience intimacy with God?
One would assume that it is, but that creates some difficult problems in my mind: King David is not who I would lift up as a model of human intimacy. You could look at his friendship with Jonathan, but he certainly didn't hit the mark with his marriage or with his kids!
So I'm left with a difficult paradox: how could David have experienced so much intimacy with God and yet have such lousy family relationships?
This brings us back full circle to the original question of what exactly is intimacy, either with other human beings or with God?
June 4 - Psalm 16
10 years ago
1 comment:
The first thing that came to mind was the word vulnerability. And the famous quote from The Chronicles of Narnia;
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about
safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good.
We can entrust ourselves to God because He’s perfect. Perfectly able to see through what we want to project to the real thing, and yet we know He’s good so we can give up protecting and interact with Him without fear.
People aren’t safe and as hard as we try we’re not perfect. We wound and can be wounded. Intimacy with people is much trickier but I find that in the process of becoming more and more vulnerable with God, I can then become less guarded with people….
Wow, this is a huge question…It’s making me think of lots more …stuff.
I think I’ll go think about it some more:)
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