The power of intimacy with Christ

“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally.” Philippians 3:10 MSG

One pastor tells of a lady who was battling a weight problem. She had tried just about every diet there was, but her weight kept fluctuating up and down. A few months passed without him seeing her at church. Then one Sunday she appeared, and he was shocked. He barely recognized her because she had lost so much weight. How did it happen? She had met a man and fallen in love! She explained to the pastor that they were going to get married and that she wanted to look her best for him in her wedding dress. There’s an important lesson here. When your approach to Christian living is based on rule keeping, you’ll find that it’s a hard, up-and-down road to travel. But not when your approach is relationship based. This woman was able to conquer what had plagued her for years because she had developed a relationship and was seeking his pleasure. Intimacy with Christ brings power. It also brings joy. That’s why Paul wrote, “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.” How close to the Lord are you today? Would you like to get closer? You can; He’s just waiting for you to make the first move. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NKJV). How do you draw near to God? By giving up all “that inferior stuff” and making it your life’s goal to know Christ intimately.

Bible in a year: 1 Kings 8-9 and Acts 4:23-37