Winning the Battle Through Intimacy With Christ
One thing I've learned over the years is that intimacy with God brings power. The more intimate we are with Him, the more powerful our lives will be. That's because we begin to resemble and act like those we spend time with. So, if we "hang out" with Christ, we will eventually become more like Christ. The trouble is many of us don't spend a whole lot of time with Him.
Why does the word intimacy seem to scare so many people? It's seems like we're afraid to make time to get to know Him, to study His character. Or we're scared to seek wisdom and guidance from Him, maybe because of what we think He might tell us. It looks as if we're terrified of simply BEing with Him. And so that kind of power-the kind of power that makes the devil nervous when we wake up in the morning-often doesn't get a chance to develop very much in our lives.
I'm sure there are many reasons for this, but I'd like to focus on a couple in particular-truth and time. God's Word tells us that the truth will make us free (see John 8:31-32). David sought one thing of the Lord and basically, that was time with Him (see Psalm 27:4).
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In order to develop the intimacy that cultivates power with God, we must get a hold on our thoughts-thoughts about ourselves, our past or future, even thoughts about God. But in order to really get a handle on our thoughts, we have to face the truth that is revealed to us. And it's usually truth about self that He reveals. God loves us very much, but He is not willing to leave us in our mess. He is always ready and waiting to change us from the inside out.
It takes time for that to happen because we first need to be able to see the truth about ourselves, and many times, that is the hardest part of growing because we don't like what we see. We may pray for God to change our circumstances, but we need to be able to face the fact that He wants to change US-regardless of the circumstances. So many times the Holy Spirit will reveal things that we just don't want to see about ourselves. But remember, the truth will set us free! So don't be afraid to change; be more afraid of staying the same!
A lot of times, a great hindrance to our growth is our guilt. We simply can't get past the things we've done. Our thoughts are powerful, and if we believe God is mad at us because we've sinned, guilt can eat us alive. And the enemy loves that!
But God is not mad at us. If you're a parent just think of this: Can you love any of your children more than you do right now? Do you still want to see changes in their behavior? Well, it's the same way with our heavenly Father. He loves us-period. He loves us now as much as He ever will. That will not change. But He still wants to see us grow and mature and experience the best He has planned for us.
The key for us is trust…trusting that He loves us…trusting that He always has our best interest in mind. And trust takes time. Our time and experience with God will teach us to trust Him. The more we trust Him, the more we'll want to spend time with Him. The more time we spend with Him, the more we change and the more His power develops in our lives. And the more powerful our lives are, the more nervous the devil will be when we open our eyes and get out of bed in the morning!
The best thing, however, about time with God, is developing that close, intimate, loving relationship with Him. So, schedule a few private meetings with God. Talk to Him about your problems. Face the truth He reveals to you about yourself. Trust that He is always…and always will be, working for your good. He wants you to live an abundant, fruitful, powerful life!
