Intimacy With God Fall 1994

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Any pastor would forfeit his housing allowance for a handful of people like Brad (not his real name). He attended church faithfully, missing only when sick or out of town. He brought his Bible and listened eagerly to sermons, frequently affirming me when something I said encouraged him. He volunteered for the most mundane tasks. I never heard him complain.

But the longer I knew Brad, the more I wondered. As much as he threw himself into every facet of church life, he somehow seemed spiritually shallow.

One day Brad vented his anger and frustration in my office. "I'm worn out and burned up," he said. "I've given and given, and I don't feel I'm getting anything in return. I hate myself for feeling this way."

Together we found that Brad's service was an attempt to compensate for a deep sense of inadequacy.

Some who seem most committed--even some I would hold up as good examples--prove ultimately to be serving out of their need, not their fullness.

After crossing paths with too many others like Brad, I saw that my task was not to manage their activity, but to help them develop an intimate relationship with Jesus. When people connect with God in an intimate way, whatever God wants for them will then flow out of the abundance of his life within. I contribute more to the kingdom by creating a climate that helps people develop intimacy with God than by leading programs.

Helping people become intimately connected with God is challenging. It's more than laying out a plan of Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance, as important as those things may be. Techniques will not guarantee intimacy with God. Still, there are some things a pastor can do.

Just about everything in this age rips away at an intimate walk with Jesus. ...

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