As might be expected, we naturally can express love, since God created us. Secrets to discovering genuine intimacy in relationships with our heavenly Father and with others begin by understanding certain principles, which enable us to break through the fears that hinder us from trusting in God's unconditional love.

Let's first examine our self-image, which can determine the depth of our intimacy. According to Genesis 1:26-27, we are created in the image of God, and in 1 John 4:8, it is stated that God is love. You see, our self-image will affect our relationships with God, our spouses, our children, and friends.

If how well we perform establishes our self-worth, we may be heading for ruin. For instance, our self-worth is often based on how well we perform our job, or on athletic or spiritual achievements, rather than on what Jesus did for us on the cross.

We need to ask this question: how do we see ourselves? Do we see ourselves as created in God's image, or do we identify with our past hurts and wounds? Often, we let our past dictate who we are now and in the future.

1 Corinthians 13:2 New Living Translation. "If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing."

Paul states that those who live in love live in God; without love, we lack a genuine connection with God. Jesus emphasized love as essential, but people often focus instead on religious rulebooks or trying to earn God's approval.

Next, we need to recognize our need for intimacy, just as we may believe that we must be independent and self-sufficient to survive. We were not created to live apart from God or others—John 5:19-20 Easy English Bible. Jesus answered them, 'I tell you this: The Son can do nothing by himself. He sees what the Father does, and he can do only those same things. What the Father does, the Son also does. The Father loves the Son. He shows the Son all the things that he himself does. And the Father will show the Son even greater things to do than these. Those greater things will surprise you even more than what you have already seen.

Jesus Himself, who was the very image of God, was dependent on His Father. Jesus did only what the Father willed, lived as God wanted him to live. Through this humbleness and dependence, Christ has been given all dominion and authority.

We have been created by God with the need for intimacy—to know and to be known. His perfect plan is to provide us with a way to meet that need—fellowship with Him and with each other.

Why do we need to be intimate, loving beings? Because we were created for love! But before we can truly abide in this love that God has for us. We first need to recognize that our need for such love exists. We need to realize that we cannot meet all our needs on our own. We cannot control our emotions and destiny without it having a harmful generational impact.

What is Intimacy? There are different facets to intimacy, oneness with the Father. It has compassion for God and people (Matthew 9:35-36). Compassion will help people avoid the pitfalls of life. It has constant companionship by the Father's side. It implies Intimacy (John 1:18). It's not self-seeking (John 5:30). It's bringing oneness with the Father in essence and nature.

When a man and woman marry and become intimate, they become one flesh. When we become intimate with the Father, we become one with Him. God wants us to have fellowship with Him. But a genuine relationship with God will not come at the expense of intimacy with our spouses and children.

Next, we need to take responsibility for our intimacy. Over the years, I have seen many relationship problems experienced as a result of our unwillingness to know others and be known.

This usually happens because we have been hurt or disappointed at some point in our lives, and we don't want to take that risk again. So, we either deny our need for intimacy, or we place the blame on someone else—the person who hurt us. Jesus came to restore our capacity for love and intimacy, despite all the many times we may have been hurt.

According to Romans 8:13-17, in Jesus, we inherit all the things that had been lost in the Fall, not only healing, joy, and salvation, but also our capacity to love fully and to be loved. But if you don't have love and intimacy in your relationships, you have missed out on the fullness of what Jesus died for—to restore you to intimacy.

It is our responsibility to choose to make intimacy a priority in our lives. As Christians, what is the most important question we can ask of ourselves? How much of the Scripture have I studied? How many Bible conferences have I attended? How much faith do I have?

According to Romans 8:13-17, in Jesus, we inherit all the things that had been lost in the Fall, not only healing, joy, and salvation, but also our capacity to love fully and to be loved. However, if we don't experience love and intimacy in our relationships, we have missed out on the fullness of what Jesus died for—to restore us to intimacy.

It is our responsibility to choose to make intimacy a priority in our lives. As Christians, what is the most critical question we can ask of ourselves?

Question: Father, how can I receive Your love and share it with others? If someone shows love to many people, but does not foster genuine closeness with their spouse, they may not be fulfilling the responsibility of building authentic relationships.

In our modern Christian culture, the responsibility for intimacy has often fallen upon the female members of the household. Too many Christian men struggle with fears: fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of giving love, fear of receiving love, fear of intimacy.

They find a false sense of security in their careers or even their ministries because they do not want to face the discomfort and insecurity they might experience if they were to be genuinely vulnerable with their spouses, trusted family, or friends.

How many of us men are willing to sacrifice our self-love to meet the emotional needs of our spouses? Both men and women should understand the importance of fostering intimacy in their lives and take responsibility for the necessary steps to achieve it.

Finally, be who God created you to be. So many of us base our self-worth on the things we do and what we can achieve, rather than who we are. This was a deception I struggled with for many years. When I began to focus so strongly on what I had or had not achieved, I lost sight of God's love and drifted away from the focus He intended for me.

God's love, not our achievements, is what will fill the void in our lives. When we truly grasp His deep and intimate love for us, it will fill us up to such an extent that the most natural thing in the world will be for us to share that love with everyone we meet.

Ephesians 5:25-30. These verses do not put males over females, but they do call husbands to accept responsible leadership in the same Spirit of self-giving and devotion that Christ has shown for His church. Loving your wife, the way that God wants you to love her, begins by loving yourself. If you don't feel good about yourself, it isn't easy to achieve true intimacy with your mate.

The more we ask the Father to fill the void in our hearts and commit to practicing loving actions toward our spouses, children, or others, the more comfortable we become with God and with ourselves.

1 John 4:16 New Living Translation. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

As we begin to submit to a lifestyle of love and intimacy, God is faithful to transform our hearts, characters, and natures in ways we could never have imagined. This submitted life will cultivate a dynamic devotion to God. God is in us because He has given His Spirit to us; therefore, His Spirit in us enables us to love God.

However, this submission to love involves a choice on our part. And sometimes we may not feel like making that choice. God is love, and we were created for love, to experience intimacy with our heavenly Father and with our fellow human beings. There should be nothing more normal on earth than being a lover.