Think back: who has been your closest and most enjoyable friend?

Close friendships, those that cross over into the realm if intimate friendships, are vital to our well-being. In the first of three blog posts on relating and relationships, I covered the research on why these relationships are vital to us. Having that friend with whom you can relate on the spiritual level – the soul level- is a gift that gives life and health.  We were made for this level of intimacy and without it we will fail to thrive. Our happiness along with our physical and psychological well-being will suffer.

Why is that? I believe it is because we were made to have these soul-level relationships with our God.  We were designed to be relational beings.  Our God made us to relate to Himself so that we might share in deep communion with Him, enjoying a mutually satisfying relationship with Him.  Our God just wants to spend time with people He created; He wants to shower them with mercy and kindness.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  In the original language in which this was written (Greek), this idea of “dine” is much more than sharing burgers and beer.  The word can be literally translated to make the phrase read, “I will make him to share in my most intimate and blissful contact.”  Did you catch that?  Intimate and blissful contact.  He wants to share intimate fellowship with us at a level that will He describes as blissful.  He wants to be your closest and most enjoyable friend.

That’s an awesome concept, and it is consistent throughout the record of God’s dealings with humans.  If this is a new idea for you, and especially if this seems out of sync with who you think God is, here is a chance to think differently about Him.  And about friendship with Him.