Okay, I confess. I was recently watching an episode of Dr. Phil. It's out now.
But it was actually useful, since it gave me a good illustration for what I wanted to focus on today. There was a couple on the show who had "dated" via the internet for two months. They met face to face exactly one time, and then decided to get married. Their wedding day was only the second time they had ever actually met in person. She had three children from a previous marriage and he had four. The day of of the wedding was the first time these children ever laid eyes on each other. They immediately all moved in together, and to everyone's surprise, they had problems! When this couple married they knew some things about each other, but they didn't actually know each other at all.
But it was actually useful, since it gave me a good illustration for what I wanted to focus on today. There was a couple on the show who had "dated" via the internet for two months. They met face to face exactly one time, and then decided to get married. Their wedding day was only the second time they had ever actually met in person. She had three children from a previous marriage and he had four. The day of of the wedding was the first time these children ever laid eyes on each other. They immediately all moved in together, and to everyone's surprise, they had problems! When this couple married they knew some things about each other, but they didn't actually know each other at all.
We live in a day when there is an abundance of information readily available about politicians or entertainers or anyone with a "celebrity" status. I don't have to go the library to read their biography. I can just google their name and I will instantly have access to more information than I could possibly want or need. With hardly any effort at all I can know all about any number of people I have never met or even seen. But I don't really know them.
I can't really know someone until I have talked with them, learned how they think, observed what they do and how they respond in various situations. It comes through a relationship that is built over time.
What is all this leading to?
While preparing for this week's Christian Living Academy class, I remembered a very well known book written in the 1970's. The author is J I Packer, and the book is titled "Knowing God". I read it quite a few years ago, but I'm thinking I need to find a copy and read it again.
While preparing for this week's Christian Living Academy class, I remembered a very well known book written in the 1970's. The author is J I Packer, and the book is titled "Knowing God". I read it quite a few years ago, but I'm thinking I need to find a copy and read it again.
A basic premise of the book is that knowing about God is very different from really knowing Him. I can read all kinds of things about God. I can read the Bible faithfully every day, and be able to recite everything the Bible says about God. Does that mean I know Him? No. So far all it means is that I know a lot about Him.
Really knowing God is about cultivating a relationship, talking with Him, spending time with Him, getting to see Him work in my life and circumstances.
Is it possible that as Christians we can settle for knowing about God instead of really knowing Him? Could we read the Bible, go to church every Sunday, even attend Bible studies, filling our heads with lots of information about God, but fail to grow in our relationship with Him? I believe it is not only possible but far too often it's reality. In fact I believe you could become an expert in theology, and know everything that can be taught about God, and still fail to know him in a personal way or grow into the kind of relationship where we really KNOW Him.
I'll leave that with you to contemplate for a few days, and we'll pick up on this idea again next week.
Really knowing God is about cultivating a relationship, talking with Him, spending time with Him, getting to see Him work in my life and circumstances.
Is it possible that as Christians we can settle for knowing about God instead of really knowing Him? Could we read the Bible, go to church every Sunday, even attend Bible studies, filling our heads with lots of information about God, but fail to grow in our relationship with Him? I believe it is not only possible but far too often it's reality. In fact I believe you could become an expert in theology, and know everything that can be taught about God, and still fail to know him in a personal way or grow into the kind of relationship where we really KNOW Him.
I'll leave that with you to contemplate for a few days, and we'll pick up on this idea again next week.
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