Is Knowing God Your Primary Focus?
“Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!”
— Psalm 90:12 (MSG)
As I get older, I realize more and more how quickly our days on this earth pass and how important it is that we pause and pray for a heart of wisdom — that we might live each day in a way that brings glory to God. In Psalm 39:4 we read, “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” With age comes new perspective. We have to use our time wisely. Scripture is full of passages encouraging intentionality in our relationship with God — our prayer life and time meditating on God’s purpose for our lives.
The Apostle Paul was imprisoned when he wrote to the people in Philippi, but he exhorted believers to keep their eyes on the forward pull of Christ. We are not to put too much emphasis on the past or worry about the future, but to think positively about how God directs the path before us. We are to model our lives and commitment with the likeness of our Savior. Further, the Apostle reminds us that really knowing God should be our primary focus.
As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God, obeying, serving, and loving become natural by-products. These attributes become the “fruit” of a dedicated and surrendered life to Him. Knowing God implies an intimate and intentional relationship. It is not about what church or denomination we belong — religion is man’s idea. We don’t have to live a “perfect life”, because no one can. It has nothing to do with how much we contribute in gifts or works — remember it is by grace alone that we are saved. The “fruits” are a by-product, not a means.
No, my friend, knowing God is a lifetime endeavor of daily discovery and trust. It’s about being purposeful in our pursuit of Him — committing to studying His truth by reading the Bible, having a vibrant prayer life, and acting upon the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It’s about waiting, listening, and watching for how He will answer us and how He is working in our lives and those around us. Only God can teach us how to live wisely and well. Only God can show us the plan for our lives. Only God can reveal Himself to us. I don’t know about you, but I desperately want to know more of God each day I live.
Personal Application
What did the apostle John mean when he said, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8)
As you meditate on this verse what is God telling you? “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33)
Jim Grassi, D. Min.