Intimacy with God (VII) The importance of knowing me

I have come to realize, that I cannot grow in intimacy with God without growing in knowledge of myself. I don’t pretend to fully understand this, but I am convinced it is true. I spoke the other day of the lady who told me she had not realized how selfish she was until she got married. What was happening was that the interactions between her and her husband were bringing things to the light that were previously hidden to her. When things are brought to the light I can either blame others or even God (Genesis 3:12), or I can accept responsibility for my part in what goes wrong. This lady was accepting responsibility, one of the essential building blocks of intimacy.

There are at least three views of my character and yours, the view we present to the world, the view we have of ourselves, and the true view that God has. And they are likely all different. Which on of us had not exaggerated the good and de-emphasized the ugly? Certainly not me! Our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and the unregenerate parts of the hearts hide from the light (John 3:20, 21). There was a reason Adam an Eve covered themselves with with fig leaves! After the fall they were not safe. Just look at how Adam blamed Eve (Genesis 3:12 again).

What I want to say about all this today, is that God is a safe place. He is safe because His love is unconditional. When, through the new birth we become His children, then He deals with us as a loving and wise father deals with His child. He may of course discipline us for our good (Hebrews 12:10). But there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1), and it is safe enough to take off the masks we wear in order to hide even from ourselves. In the embrace of His extravagant healing love, we can start to be real and realistic. Being sure of His forgiveness (1 John 1:9), we can admit our faults, and in doing so bring the three views mentioned above closer to each other, and ourselves closer to God. As I have said before, we even get to like ourselves.

Father, it is such a relief to know that I do not have to have it all together in order to be close to You. You have told us that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us (James 4:8). And as a little boy with a great big Daddy, I can be free to enjoy life and have peace even in the midst of the chaos. I do need to say close, and I ask You this morning to help me to deal Your way, with anything that might hinder. In Jesus Name Amen