The recurring theme from the weekend, and from so much of what we are hearing outside of the regular church messages, is about intimacy with God, and it is amazing how some people are so scared of this!
There was the challenge of "would you go if all your dreams came true but the presence of God was not with you?" from Pete Greig. And then being reminded by Ian Nicholson about how we need that intimacy with God, that really the only way we can stay in the presence of God is if we stay intimate with Him.
In sharing some of this with other people they have become very anti in their response. It is like this whole thing of just being close to God, rather than doing the stuff, really challenges people.
And it was interesting to see it worked out in some friends of ours with their marriage and how actually their main struggles are just about communicating honestly and trusting each other, both of which really bottom line to being not afraid of being intimate with each other.
Seek 1st the Kingdom of God then all these things will be added to you. When we know God is in charge, when we know that no matter what He wants the best for us, when we know that what He gives us we can hold loosely, then we know we are on the road to putting Him and His Kingdom first, and are learning to walk intimately with Him.
Why the fear in doing that? I wonder if it comes back to that Protestant work ethic and we are afraid that if we don't do then people will think we are struggling with our Christian walk, or whether it is that fear that if we really get into being with God He'll make us change our ways?
Some interesting and thought provoking questions there
ReplyDeleteJoanna