
THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INTIMACY WITH GOD
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends…” (John 15:15)
Intimacy with God has several levels. It is important for you to know your position in relation to these different levels of intimacy with God so that you can determine how to move forward. These levels are easy to understand: just as with God, we also have different degrees of intimacy in our relationships with others. Based on our interactions with people, we can classify their degree of closeness to us as follows:
- An acquaintance: This is someone you might see in your neighborhood, greet in passing, but often don’t even know their name.
- A companion: This is someone who might be part of the same group of friends as you, with whom you may go out (in a group), but someone you wouldn’t necessarily visit or share your personal problems with.
- A friend: This is someone with whom you share your problems, someone you visit, someone you can talk to for hours without getting bored, someone who knows your family, and whose family you also know.
Among friends, there is another level: that of an intimate friend. This is someone for whom you are ready to give your life, someone who knows your deepest secrets and in whom you have utmost trust. Generally, this kind of friend is unique.
God also has intimate friends, and this is evident in His Word.
For instance, Jesus tells His disciples that He no longer considers them servants but rather His friends. The apostles moved from the rank of servants to that of friends. It is worth noting that John is often referred to as the apostle whom Jesus loved most, and others even sent him to Jesus to uncover certain hidden matters. He had the privilege of reclining on the Lord’s chest. While the other apostles were friends of Jesus, John was His intimate friend.
Considering the four different levels of intimacy with God, where do you stand? Are you among God’s mere acquaintances? His companions? His friends? Or are you one of His intimate friends—those who belong to His inner circle? These four levels can be likened to the vessels of clay, wood, silver, and gold mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:20-21.
PRAYER: Lord, thank You for answering my earnest desire to become Your intimate friend. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Meditation: Proverbs 17:17; John 13:23
This text is an excerpt from the book “Daily Devotions 4: DEVELOPING INTIMACY WITH GOD (1)” written by Mohammed SANOGO.
We invite you to read the next article: “INTIMACY WITH GOD IS NOT FAVORITISM”.
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