Maturity in a relationship is understanding preferences within the association and between the two involved. Walking intimately with the Lord means being in tune or compatible with the desires of the Almighty.
What are God’s preferences?
A Pharisee asked Jesus which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answered and said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; this is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40). Paul describes the word love as follows: Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1Corinthians 13: 4-7). Furthermore, the man David describes God’s heart desire toward man and said, For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offerings.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17).
What is Brokenness?
We can define brokenness as a heart of being sold out to God.
Paul described an example of brokenness in his desire for the Lord, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God; in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:7-11).
Jesus, while dealing with the Pharisees, identified their outward show of religion and their authentic inner self detested the genuine service and dedication to the Word of God; He called them whitewashed tombs. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27). Jesus then, in His sermon on the mountain, taught His followers the right way to live in the sight of God and the blessings that follow (Matthew 5).
A broken Christian abandons the former life of flesh and lives unto God in righteousness through the Holy Spirit.
The Steps to Brokenness
The first step is to surrender to the Lord and accept the finished work of salvation that took place on the cross at Calvary through getting the Lord Jesus into your heart. The next is to surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit you are sealed with at the new birth. Live a life of obedience to His revelation of the truth of God’s Word in your life as you study the Word in a daily quiet time with the Lord. Develop the culture of assembling with other believers in a Bible-believing Church, as iron sharpens iron. (Hebrews 10:25). Follow the Lord in the believer’s baptism. Be ready to share the saving grace of God without others. Live a consecrated life unto God in prayer and worship.
As we live in commitment and brokenness unto the Lord, we become molded to His image, and He is proud of us. We then can be confident in an intimate relationship with Him. Ask and receive, seek and find, knock, and it shall be opened unto us.