In the Know

Let’s start with a celebrity test. Do you know who Frank Sinatra is? Do you know who Johnny Depp is? Do you know Brad Pitt or Britney Spears or Jonathan Roumie or Elvis Presley or Pope Leo IV or Eminem or Charlie Kirk or Bill Clinton or Jennifer Lopez…? I am guessing you know some if not all of these people on the list. What other celebrities do you know? What do you know about them?

Likely what most of us know about these celebrities is what we have seen of them in entertainment or the news or read about them in the tabloids. Maybe we have heard interviews done with them that give us a little bit of insight into who they really are, and/or how they think about various issues.

Being “in the know” is very important to some people. They may take pride in their ability to keep up on all the latest and greatest news and important people. The “in the know” people tend to follow many resources to stay in the know. Some are especially good at getting around and meeting the people that they are “in the know” about.

But even the “in the know” people may not really be “in the know.” What is it that they really know? Do they really know others, I mean really? Or do they just know about some aspects of them that they consider reportable? Are they simply telling about the “what, where and how” but missing the “why?” For example, Why does a person do what they do? Why do they think what they think? Why is it important to them? The “why” usually points to the motive and passion, the inner-soul. Getting an understanding of that usually helps feed a relationship because we begin to learn about who they truly are as a person.

There is a saying that goes, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”  Caring about people is a characteristic of love. Can we all relate to that statement?

Caring takes time and personal investment. Consider these questions when it comes to God. Do we know God, or do we just know about Him? Have we invested time and effort in meeting Him and better understanding who He is and why He created us? Have we taken time to truly listen to Him and understand that His “why” is His love for us? If we truly understand that He cares for us than hopefully we would want to know more of what He wants to share with us. He holds out so many incredible gifts to us. It is up to us to open up and join Him in relationship.

I think to myself, when I die and arrive at the gates of Heaven, will He let me in? Will He say, I don’t really know you. You are a stranger to me. What then?

No matter what our beliefs are I believe down deep every person walking this earth knows there is a God. He planted that seed within our soul before we were formed in the womb. Maybe a person is in denial because they are mad at God for not giving them what they want and expect. Maybe the disappointments in their life have been crushing to them and they blame God, but the seed is still there and undeniable.

The experience in knowing about God versus really knowing God is like my experience of listening to Elvis Presley music for most of my life and enjoying his music. But if I went to his door (if he was still alive) and asked to come in he wouldn’t know me from Adam.

But here is the real message. God loves us all and He wants a real relationship with us. His love and His mercy are greater than any sin we commit. He calls us to a life of joy and not misery but we need to be in relationship with Him. Go to church. Read Scripture. Pray unceasingly and listen for Him. Understand that knowing about God is not the same as being in relationship and knowing God. Get to know God and follow His will. That is how we can Shine Like the Son. God bless you.