The Power of the Personal Relationship

Several years ago we happened upon a television show called Alone. Simple title for a simple concept. Contestants are survival experts who are dropped off in harrowing conditions, like extreme remote parts of British Columbia, Patagonia, and Northern Vancouver Island for example, and left to survive on their own with the barest of survival equipment. It is self documented, so there is not even a production crew to keep the participants company.  Except for the rare medical check-ins, the competitors are isolated from all human contact. They can withdraw by tapping out with a call from a satellite phone at any time, or be removed due to medical reasons. The winner is the last one standing. 

Over several seasons that we watched, we saw survivalists doing great. Built an awesome shelter, found water, caught fish. They were killing it! Then as time progressed, they began to lose their motivation for the monetary prize. Isolation was too much for them. They missed their families more than they had factored in, human interaction became a commodity they weren't willing to sacrifice to win the game. So they made the call to quit. 

God made us for relationship. My previous post was about our first purpose, to love Him. Our next purpose, I believe, is to establish a personal, intimate relationship with Him. He showed us that through the example of Adam and Eve in the garden.

He loved them, and they loved Him. There they had this intimate relationship. God walked with Adam. They walked and they talked. Until Adam and Eve broke that relationship by betraying God's trust and disobeying. They brought sin in between them and God. The relationship was broken. But God...two of the most incredible words in the world...But God.

God revealed His plan to mend the relationship between Himself and His children by sending His Son to intervene., When we enter into a relationship (there is that word again) with Jesus Christ, we mend the broken relationship with The Father. What a beautiful plan.

Intimate infers that it is just two. Yes, church worship services are awesome. Small groups are important, and we all love a good Bible Study. But a relationship is developed by spending time together, getting to know one another. The time we spend one-on-one with Jesus, learning of Him, walking and talking with Him as Adam did in the garden, is when we develop the intimate personal relationship He yearns to have with us.

When we enter a restaurant and request a small intimate table, we would add the words 'for two', would we not? A table for four is not intimate. But a corner booth, quiet corner: that is a place for intimate conversation, getting to know one another. Church, Bible Study, small groups are all good and edifying. But just the two of us, one-on-one, alone in a corner, heads close, voices quiet....this is where we grow close.