Dignity has its place
Intimacy has its place
Dignity is a behavior, persona, character that causes someone to receive respect, honor and high regard. Intimacy is being familiar, close, connection with another, sharing the deepest part of you with someone.
Which one does God prefer, Intimacy or dignity?
I want to challenge us to lose our dignity and get intimate with God. Do you care when you don't feel the presence of God in your life? Does it bother you when you miss fellowship with God? Do you get excited when you are back in fellowship? Your identity and destiny in Christ are determined by your intimacy with Him and not your ministry for Him!
 
Let's look at princess/ Queen Michal
Michal was concerned about dignity that she lost her intimacy with God.
Where are you when your husband is really worshipping God?...Michal was at the window watching him. She was more worried about the nakedness of her husband that she did not see him the way that God saw him. A worshipper. Some of us love our husbands so much that we forget that it is God who is keeping the husband. She did not see with her spiritual eye.
Who are you desiring? Your desire must be God. What gets you excited?
David was excited because the ark of God finally made it home. The ark had left its place for a while and he was not happy about it. There is an intimacy that God is desiring from us that we cannot share with our husbands. Your ambition and your passion to prosper is not with your husband but from intimacy with God.
 
Intimacy comes with:
1. Dialogue
2. Transparency
3. Reciprocity
4. Vulnerability
Dignity will make us way too much time looking at what others do when we need to be running to God to find out what He wants us to do.The name of God was not mentioned once in the book of Esther, but there is no where else in the bible that the divine providence and deliverance from God demonstrated because of a lady who dared to be intimate with the king.....
You need to loose your dignity
1. Ruth lost her dignity and she got her Boaz
2. Jesus recognized intimacy in the woman with the issue of the blood from her touch.
3. John 4:15 The woman at the well lost what she had of dignity when she became intimate with Christ, she gained it back because she was able to witness to the people.
4. Proverbs 31 woman was intimate with The Lord, that is why her husband was able to brag about her at the city gate. What is your spouse saying about you?
Is he saying that my wife is good in bed or she is a woman of God? The husband was not said to be a Christian.
 
How do we develop intimacy with The Lord?
 
Pastor Rick Warren, in his book "The Purpose Driven Life", gives us the 3 Rs of intimacy:
1. Time: it takes time to know someone. What gets you excited?
2. Talk: communication is important
3. Trust: you have to develop trust in Him. I have developed a kind of trust in my husband that I know that no matter what happens, he is there for me.
Philippians 3:10- Paul's # 1 ambition was not to build the biggest church, not to have the biggest followers, not the highest degree, but to know Christ.
Hunger for His intimacy consumed Paul, be the same and He will draw you close to him. it will overflow to every part of your life.
Acts 4:13-The apostles were not educated, but when the people heard how they spoke in the book of Mark, the peoples remark was" but they have been with Jesus"
You don't need a title to be intimate, He will give you a title. You don't need a good resume, Rahab didn't. How far are you going with Jesus?
Will you determine to increase your intimacy with Him today? Will you be a little undignified with Him today? God doesn’t want to live in a Sunday morning, spiritual box. His goal is to renew our minds and be seen in our actions and words. He wants your passion, your love, affection, obsession with Him. He wants your excitement. When you are full of yourself, you cannot be full of Him. God prefers intimacy over dignity. It is in the place of intimacy that you get dignity
According to Priscilla Shirer, God will never cancel your appointment in His appointment book.
 
Blessings,
Pastor D