In Knowing part 3
Here's the thing about knowing when it comes to God (love)--its a two way street. Now let me quote my Scripture before I try to explain this. Galatians 4:8-9, "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" After we have known God. Or rather, are known OF Him. After we have known love. Or rather, are OF love. Its a relationship. Its not book knowledge, its a living Word. Its not head knowledge, its heart knowledge. "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). A knowledge that passes knowledge. Knowing and being known. I can't tell you what a difference it makes when you have relationships with people who actually know you. Who actually care. Who actually put in the time and effort to GET to know you. That kind of thing is rare. And its precious. Being known. Being known by love. That's really the only way you CAN love. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. But knowing is only half the battle. You can read the Bible and come away with "Jesus love me, this I know..." but, as my pastor once said, there's a difference between knowing... and KNOWING. The only way to know--really KNOW--the love of God is to be known of God. To know Him, and to know yourself as He knows you. To know Him as loving heavenly Father. And to know yourself as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. To fill yourself with all the fulness of God. To fill yourself with what HE has already filled you with. And you fill yourself by knowing it and believing it. Look at Isaiah 12:3, "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." WE are the wells, by the way. And there's this thing we teach our kids about not dipping into each others' buckets. In the sense of not taking things away from them. Not taking their happiness, or their self-esteem. But when we draw the living water out of our own wells, we can fill each other. We can know each other. We can love each other. It comes from knowing what we've got. Knowing who we are. Knowing who God is. Jesus: God in the flesh, love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. That's who we are. And when we know who we are... in knowing... we can be who we are. In being known... we can experience that love from a Father to His beloved Son. And that love of a Father will always empower the Son. That's where our ability to love comes from--it comes from being loved. Giving what we've got by knowing and believing that we've got it. Its a two way street. A relationship. Not just knowing... but being known. Opening yourself to people. Giving yourself to people. Laying your life down for people. A life of service is a life fully lived. A life of service is a life of love. Love is what makes life abundant. Knowing love and being known by love!