INTIMACY … WHAT IS IT? And, where do you find “it”?
There’s excitement in passion … but there is always, “Quiet” in intimacy.
Spiritual Intimacy … Every true Believer longs for a “closer walk” with God … David had it, and God said of him, “he is a man after my own heart”. So many of his Psalms are sanctuary Psalms. David, though beset by failures and gross infidelities nonetheless in repentance and in prayer he cried out that The Spirit of God would not be taken from him. Psalm 51 the “ministry” of The Spirit is one of intimacy, dwelling within and seeking to promote an ever deepening walk with God.
Intimacy with God is reflected in David’s intimacy with certain wives for example, Abigail and later, Bathsheba. Intimacy with God affects and brings about further, broader intimacies as with David and Jonathan. Spiritual Intimacy gives boundaries in all other relationships, or, is meant to.
Marital Intimacy … Marital intimacy and mere, sexual passion are different, marital intimacy will include passion but mere passion sexually may not necessarily have intimacy as a component. Marital intimacy will endure where sexual passion may abate with passing years.
Fraternal Intimacy … Friendship like any relationship has many levels … there are acquaintances with whom you share interests or common goals, but beyond that there is no further sense of “belonging”. There are those in life you admire for their achievements or their character and even enjoy moments when you have contact with them, but there is no hint of further closeness, nor is it expected. We all have a professional “intimacy” with our doctors, lawyers or those that are acting on our behalf or to whom, we’ve gone for help or guidance, but that only pertains to the issues that are in question.
There are many instances of fraternal intimacy that are clearly and succinctly defined … David and Jonathan is a supreme example of fidelity and intimacy; For those suggesting that this relationship was homosexual you need to “think again” … 2 Samuel 1;26 this love, this intimate relationship was “beyond the love of women” meaning that the intimacy, heterosexually is expressed sexually, whereas this relationship was not this type of relationship but was built or “knit” on common ideals, a United Love for God and for the welfare of Israel, sadly, an ideal not shared by Jonathan’s self obsessed father, Saul. When Jonathan heard David’s testimonial, his heart was “knit” with David from that moment on. Intimacy between friends is not merely based on longevity of a relationship, it is built on “common” ideals.
Inner Intimacy (“Truth in the inner parts” Psalm 51) If we are not truly transparent within ourselves we will never be truly honest before God or to our fellow man, therefore true intimacy will always elude us. It is imperative and I’m sure, obvious that we are to spend quality time with ourselves … before God and alone, away from “earths din and noise” to search our hearts, examine our motives.
Each one of us need to have quality and yes, a “quantity of time” to think, to meditate and evaluate: It matters little where we find that quiet place, that place of solace. Of necessity, it must be a place free of intrusions from this “clattering” and demanding world.
The blessed man is the man who has the Holy habit of “meditating day and night” on the Word of God in order to walk in that Word: Joshua 1;8 and Psalm 1;2 … such “waiting time is never wasted time” and is far removed from the vague meditations of Eastern religion with all those attendant follies and dangers … Biblical spiritual meditation leads to consolidation of thought, continued deliberate direction and progressive change.
May we be people of God who are matured by our Biblical understanding and spiritual enlightenment brought by quiet, consistent intimacy with God, and with the godly, that God unites us with, whether in marriage or enriching fraternal fellowship … Those “of like precious faith” 2 Peter 1;1