Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Knowing About versus Knowing

I had an hour long conversation with a friend last night who is a skeptic. He is dealing with some life issues right now and I was trying to give him some encouragement. I eventually felt like I needed to ask him if he was completely trusting God through all the things he is going through. His answer was no. He doesn't really know how to or even think God cares too much to help. This took our conversation down a path in which he asked questions about free-will versus predestination and other similar topics. Eventually I told him that he needs to quit worrying about trying to know about God and start seeking to know God. He thought on it a moment, a little taken back by the remark. Then he eventually responded with, "don't you have to know about God before you can know God?" To this I answered, "we would be better off forgetting some of the things we think we know about God, then perhaps we would truly learn what it is to know Him."

This statement I made to him kind of came out of know where. Actually, it came from God's Spirit leading my conversation, but the point is: it wasn't some fabricated standard answer. I started really thinking about this whole thing. How many in the church today simply know about God versus knowing God? Is it possible that many think they are Christians because they have adopted a few statements of belief, but really don't know God? Most have adopted beliefs that comfort rather than a relationship that confronts. One is a facade. The other is real.

What do you think? Do you know or simply know about? It is a question worth asking ourselves regularly. Each day presents us the challenge of simply relying off what we already know about God versus seeing each moment as a chance to encounter and know Him.

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