I Want To Know Jesus

 

I know lots of people but there are very few people that I know. There’s a difference. I regularly go to the gym about 9:00AM so I tend to see the same people there. I know who they are and I know some of their names but I don’t really know them because I just go to work out and I don’t socialize while I’m there. On the other hand, I feel like I know my wife well. We’ve been married 33 years and have an ongoing, growing relationship.

 

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings…..” (Philippians 3:10). He understood that knowing Christ is a matter of continual growth. “Not that I have already obtained all this…..but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

 

We can’t be content with just knowing who Jesus is. He can’t be like those people whose name we know and say “Hello” to without any meaningful interaction. We should seek to know Him deeply. In doing so, we begin to experience His love, His glory, and His majesty, giving us a glimpse as to what awaits us in heaven. Knowing that He is always with us gives us hope and encouragement.

 

Communication is essential if we want to get to know someone and know them better. An active prayer life opens the door to experiencing Jesus, especially if we leave it open enough to allow Him to speak to us. It also reminds us to keep near to Him throughout the day.

 

My wife regularly wrote to me before we were married and I try to write a weekly letter to our daughter. These notes are signs of our love and give insight into our minds and hearts. Jesus has given us His Word. We should take advantage of the opportunity to come to know Him better as we read it.

 

Most of my closest friends have come from the workplace, having spent many hours working together. We will come to know Jesus better when we participate in doing the work that He is doing in the world today.

 

We grow in our relationships through shared experiences. When we suffer, we come to know Jesus better through His comfort and assistance. We also become part of  “the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” as we appreciate all that He endured on our behalf.

 

The more we truly know Jesus, the more we will experience His power. More on that in my next post.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.