For quite some time I've been under the impression that the only relationship God wants with us is one that is intimate. Yet if that were true, I realized, how come such intimacy is with God is so rare, felt only a dozen or so times in life, during worship, Bible reading, spending time with others in church, whatever? If this is the one goal and purpose of God's relationship with us, why are the most devoted and fantastical Christians admitting intimacy is so hard to fine sometimes?

I think one reason is that the Evil One has his claws all over this world. Duh. But another reason has been spreading through my heart, mind, and soul, and has brought relief and peace to me.

Intimacy is the grittiest, most raw relationship we can hold with God. It is where we find God inviting us into his bedchamber, as raunchy as that may sound. Some have found such intimacy, but it is rare. For the reason stated above about the Evil One, and also because, simply, a lot of us don't want to go any farther!

In the house church/ small group I lead, I have been pounding on how God wants only an intimate relationship with us. I have stated - incorrectly - that if we do not have this intimacy, we are missing out. And so many times in saying that I have been shooting an arrow into my chest, because this intimacy is not an every-day thing for me. I had been discouraged by the fact that most people did not desire an intimate relationship with God, and I thought this was something God mourned and even scolded. But God is comfortable with us not wanting an intimate relationship with him; he is okay if we don't want to commit our entire lives to Him.

Notice in Scripture that intimacy with God is not a requirement to salvation, but a step above salvation. We can exist with God on more than one level; there are four levels we exist with God on, and they are interchangeable through our lives:

1) The multitudes belonged to Jesus in a public setting. We can belong to God publically as he is the shepherd and we are the sheep. We can belong to him publically as he is the master and we are the servant. All these are spoken by Jesus and are just as legitimate as the deeper relationships. This is the most common relationship to God.

2) A roomfull of people belonged to Jesus socially. This social belonging is often found in churches, small groups, social worship and prayer, etc. We hardly ever find passionate prayers in corporate gatherings, because they are out-of-place. I used to think public, franchised prayers weren't very good, but they are just as legitimate, only finding existence on a different level. There are less of these than there are of public community with God.

3) The 12 disciples found personal belonging with Jesus. This is when God is our best friend, our brother or sister, our family. We experience this when we gather with one or two people and just pray passionately with God, worship passionately, and commune together passionately. There are less of these than there are of social belonging with God.

4) The inner circle of Peter, James and John belonged to Jesus intimately. This is where the fewest relationships with God are found. This is where God is the Lover and we are the Beloved, and we live on that fact.

All these four areas of belonging experience community with Jesus, and all are significant. A healthy relationship with God will touch all four levels, and they change in-and-out with us with the passing of years.