Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. I Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
Have you ever been loved like this by anyone? This is how God (Paul) defines love. Can you imagine someone…
- Meeting needs with patience? Kindness?
• Not being jealous
• Never boasting and not prideful
• How about someone who doesn’t have self-seeking motives? Or someone who isn’t rude?
• Not demanding to have him/or her way?
• Doesn’t get very irritated
• Doesn’t remember your faults or stupid mistakes
• How about if they refused to be deceitful, and were always truthful with you?
• What if this person protected you, trusted you, always hoped for your good, and persevered through conflicts with you?
According to I Corinthians, this is love. And according to I John 4:8, God is love.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. I John 4:8
This is a snapshot of God’s absolute love. The Greek word for this is agape: not seeking for anything – unconditional love.
Eros: friendship but seeking for something (Freud)
I think it is difficult for us to accept God sometimes because we can’t really relate to this kind of love.
Remember the scene in Anchorman where Ron and his buddies sing "Afternoon Delight"? There ya go – Our culture’s definition for love/intimacy – sex. I mean, it doesn’t come as a shock, right? Intimacy = sex. That’s how you get close to someone, right? If you look up intimacy on Google you get definitions for sexual relationships first and foremost – well, actually the first thing is a bra ad for a new line of Intimacy Bras – “the perfect fit” – and then it goes to sex.
So, I think the problem here is obvious – I Corinthians and Ron Burgandy don’t really make sense when put together – see, here’s the problem with Ron’s definition of love/intimacy: it doesn’t last very long. It’s very instant. In fact, sex itself can’t satisfy the whole person – it definitely affects physical and even mental things – but what about emotions and spiritual and social areas of life – if there is an effect it is very short lived. Also, if we define intimacy with sex then we have a huge problem when it comes to a relationship with God – no, intimacy must be different – maybe that’s why having a relationship with Him is so difficult for us sometimes – we keep seeing what we can get out of it (eros) than just love without agenda (agape).
The beauty of all this, however, is that God fills our eros desire with His agape love.
Intimate love is illustrated beautifully in this clop: Cinderella Man clip. Now, let’s get very practical here: How do I develop intimacy with Him? He already loves me like this – how do I work at loving Him?
1. Be vulnerable when you pray and worship
• He knows you already – so when you talk to Him be real
• Allow your heart to catch up with your actions (obey and serve you song – Mike Rakes)
• He will reveal himself
2. Get to know Him by reading His ridiculously long love
• Notes on windshield as a teen
• Long notes from a girl – letters from Shauna/Cards
• God wants you to know all about Him
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3. Live life in the fear of God
• Live in submission
• Live in the resting hands of God
God is perfect – we are not. Our relationship when it becomes intimate, will change:
• Our schedules
• Our priorities
• Our hearts
• Our love for others
• Who we are
• Makes us vulnerable
Having an intimate relationship as a long term thing – it’s very deep – and can, at times, be very uncomfortable because you can’t hide when you’re intimate. Do you REALLY want this with God?
