Going Overboard

I’ve been out of sorts lately. I get like this when it seems like the Lord’s presence isn't as intense as it once was and I’m forced to proceed on trust, knowing He’s right here but not feeling His breath in my lungs, so to speak. I think sometimes the Lord allows this “distance,” knowing I’m a glutton for the experience of Him and that I’ll renew my active pursuit of Him because I simply can’t live without intimacy.

All human beings were created for intimacy with the Creator, but we often squirm at the thought. Case in point: A couple years ago, John Mark McMillan wrote a song with the line “Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,” but the phrase is often changed to unforeseen kiss. The first time I heard the original version, I nearly came unglued with joy that someone would be so audacious as to express the connection between God's throne and man's domain in such a beautiful and undignified way. It makes me sad that the phrase is usually toned down.  

Case in point Number Two: Sometimes I still feel awkward when I tell someone the name of this blog. For a long time, I considered half a dozen “milder” blog titles but kept returning to this one. None of the others were extreme enough—because the fact is that I don’t want to just know about God, and I don’t want to know Him to a certain extent; I want to know Him in the most extreme way. And here’s the bottom line: The only thing that comes even close to the human equivalent of the sort of God-directed passion I’m talking about is lovemaking in the bonds of marriage. It is simultaneously sacred, raw, fervent, comforting, scorching, accepting, and giving. It’s utterly holy but uncivilized. Through it, you find yourself and lose yourself. Marital lovemaking and ardent love for God have so many parallels that even the Bible uses one as a metaphor for the other. (If in doubt, read Hosea or the Song of Solomon.)

Am I pushing the envelope too far? Maybe. Do I care? No. Because here’s my theory: when it comes to loving God, let’s err on the side of excess. Moderation is a virtue when it comes to a whole lot of stuff, like sugar, wine, and television, but to heck with moderation when it comes to loving God. Seriously, what’s the point of holding back? I doubt that Jesus will ever meet someone at the gates of heaven, shake His head, and say, “You loved Me too much. You went overboard.” I want to express my love for Him so that there’s no room for doubt, so that He’ll never wonder if I perhaps love another more than Him. I want to throw off all restraint when it comes to loving Him.

Do you hear Him speaking to you about this matter of intimacy? Maybe the thought of getting to know Him as Lover and Husband is a little intimidating. Maybe you don’t understand what it all means, how it all translates into “real life,” but are you willing to find out?