The Heart of True Intimacy
 When people begin dating, they often feel a surge of inner angst: “Will I be accepted? Will my invitation be well received?” These questions reach deeper than romance—they touch our sense of identity, self-worth, and lovability. In response, we’re tempted to show only our best parts, carefully curating ourselves to be acceptable—maybe even creating a false self in order to “catch” the other person.
The same temptation can creep into our relationship with God. If we’re not sure of His utterly unconditional love, we may try to hide the “unpresentable” parts of ourselves or craft a “religious” version of who we think we should be. But these paths are spiritually deadly. They keep us from experiencing the authentic, transforming love of God and leave us stuck in a shallow faith.
Yet Scripture is clear: God calls us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27). Real love means bringing every part of ourselves—not just the polished or presentable parts—into a full...
Pull Yourself Together!
Have you checked your email today? How about YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat? Every day, we are bombarded with ideas, perspectives, opportunities, and sales. This constant influx of information can leave us feeling intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually overloaded. Over time, it can even fragment our sense of self.
In an effort to cope, we often compartmentalize our lives. We may act one way politically or socially, another way in our work or family life, and yet another way in our spiritual communities. While some variation is natural, consistent compartmentalization can erode our identity and undermine deep relationships.
Have you ever been at a gathering with people from different spheres of your life—family, friends, colleagues, church—and felt awkward? Some of this is normal. But the deeper question is: are you being true to yourself, or are you “playing to the crowd,” presenting a different version of yourself in each setting?
Though compartme...
Categories
All Categories© 2018 Greater Formation
