In the world of business, companies can outsource all sorts of things. They can outsource administrative tasks, or even their payroll or legal services.
As people, however, we can’t outsource intimacy.
John Ortberg tells the unfortunate story of a man who became attracted to a certain woman and wanted to ask her out on a date. Instead of approaching her himself, he asked his administrative assistant to get in touch with her to set up a time.* Oops!
In the context of this devotional, I’m not talking about romantic intimacy. I’m talking about our one-on-one relationship with the Lord. When someone says “you can’t inherit faith,” they’re referring to this same idea.
One day when you stand before God it’s not going to work if you say, ‘Yes, I neglected you, but my grandma really, really loved you!’ Each new generation—and each individual person—needs to put in the time, personally.
I sometimes get asked about Matthew 7:21. That’s where Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” As you can imagine, it can make people feel unsettled.
The key, however, is found in the next few verses. Sure, many people were doing things in Jesus’ name, but they didn’t have a relationship with him. “I never knew you,” he says.
Someone can know about you without knowing you. There’s a difference.
This same point is made in John 15:4: “Abide in me, and I in you,” Jesus says. This is a reciprocal invitation. It means getting to know him and his words. It means putting in the time. It means listening. It means doing Christlike things. It means trusting him with your secrets—and even your future.
That’s what a relationship looks like.
Let’s say your best friend really wants you to be there at their graduation. You say, ‘Okay.’ But instead of showing up yourself, you send a guy whom you gave ten bucks to sit in your seat. What will your friend think?
When it comes to a relationship with God, we can’t outsource intimacy. Let’s make it personal and meaningful.
“Abide in me,” Jesus says,” “and I in you.”
Notes:
-Note: As of August 10, I am on vacation. However, The Up Daily Devotional will continue daily until August 21, then go on pause for 2 weeks, resuming on September 7, 2026.
-*John Ortberg, All the Places You Go (Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 74.
-Bible quotes, ESV.
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