Every one of us have a deep desire to be truly known and loved, yet often times the fear of this seems as equally strong as this desire. God created us from love (who He is), to be loved, and to love others. Intimacy is not a side note in the Kingdom of God but central to all of life, freedom, and ministry. Yet In-to-me-see requires that I open the deep places in my heart, not only dreams and desires but also the places of brokenness, fear, darkness, insecurity, and doubt. It is only through authentic intimacy can we be known, shown who we truly are, and radically loved. As we sat in a semi-circle with our high school/middle school group, these young faces and hearts revealed such hope for the future, innocence, a wander about life, and anticipation. Yet as we read their journals we saw how the orphan spirit had already touched their lives but as they soaked in a prophetic revelation by Graham Cooke for an hour their hearts were stirred for the adventure of intimacy. Religion is black and white in it's rules of conformity, control, predictability, and fear but true relationship and intimacy with the Father through Jesus Christ is brilliant, dynamic, alive, and with all the spectrum of creativity. The possibilities and dimensions of our earthly realm are amazing but when you begin to explore these in the spiritual realm they become limitless. Religion has also entered the place of intimacy with the Trinity, yet it marches on with orders about quiet times, bible study, and the duty of prayer. Discipline is a wonderful thing if it leads to relationship and encounter but a slave master when looked to in order to produce life. The world around us will match the world within us, if we are driven by performance, duty, obligation, guilt, and fear then this will permeate to those around us. Many talk of transforming the world for Christ and I am in full agreement, yet if my internal world is not transformed then I will simply reproduce the discontentment, frustration, lack of peace, and lack of love that may be on the inside.
To an orphan planet there is not anything more attractive then a life lived in intimacy with God and intimacy with those around me. The very core of an orphan heart is the belief of being alone, having to meet all your own needs, and independent. I spoke with a young man yesterday who wanted counseling, when I asked if he went to a church he said that he was a "lone wolf". Unfortunately, this is more common then we want to admit that young people are living their lives hiding behind masks of "I'm fine" while deep inside they crave to be known and loved. An orphan planet is not going to be saved by religion where they are taught how to behave right, they crave real intimacy with a God who would know them fully and love them fully. Jesus as He went about His public ministry only challenged the religious to live by their own commandments (derived from the Law) only to find that they were still lacking, to the broken, dying, and sick He offered the living waters of love, life, healing, and intimacy. Even the sick would partake of the living water only to become well but would forsake returning to follow Jesus, so fell short of the intimacy He invited them into. Yet Jesus mission was to reconcile an orphan planet to the Father that would bring them home into a place of intimacy, belonging, and life. Jesus invites us into the life of intimacy that He walked in and lived out on the earth with His Father, one of trust, complete honesty and vulnerability, and sonship. Yet even this week I admitted to my wife that "I don't know how to do intimacy" but the hunger in my heart wouldn't let me stop there. Will you pursue the intimacy with God you were made for?
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