To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us. Timothy Keller

I’m convinced more and more as I get older that the above quote summarizes a lot of human behavior.

We all want to be fully known and fully loved.

God created us this way and He alone fills this completely.

We were also designed to fill a portion of this need for those loved ones we are lucky enough to be this close to.

We get into trouble as we try to navigate our way through relationships – figuring out where on the spectrum this relationship puts us and how much to risk along the way.

We push some people away because we don’t want to risk the rejection.

We bring some people too close too soon and get our hearts broken.

We take the easy route and keep things superficial.

Be aware of those around you. They are all working through this in their own way.

Some in an obvious and dysfunctional way.

Some in a scared and quiet way.

Reach out – pay attention to where you are on the spectrum above and be the one to reach out to the next step in your relationships.

Risk the vulnerability (appropriately and wisely) and allow yourself the opportunity to be fully known and to know someone else fully.

Embrace God’s special place for you in all of this. Both with and through Him and in the special relationships in your life.

Make it a great day.

Jake