John
17:3
Now
this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
If we read this verse superficially, just glancing over
the words, we would have a very limited idea of what Jesus meant when He said,
“…that they know You….”. It would then be easy to just understand it to
mean that they would recognise God, perhaps because of religious instruction as
a child; or even just to acknowledge that He exists.
Let us look more closely at what the word means in our everyday
lives and then apply it to how we understand what knowing God and Jesus
means. Firstly, we get to know someone, which suggests a process, an
ongoing way of interacting with that person, as opposed to just casually
meeting them and then not connecting again.
This implies spending time with them - choosing to
interact on future occasions, even deliberately scheduling times to hang out
together, being hospitable and opening your home to them.
There has to be a connection. We cannot befriend someone
who does not respond to our reaching out to them, likewise we also have to
respond to that person reaching out to us. A two-way conversation, in other
words, a willingness to share our lives, even if it takes some effort on our
part.
To have a meaningful relationship with someone, the
initial acquaintanceship has to deepen into love for that person, a caring
beyond what is usually the case when we interact with people that we share a
social circle with. And this also mostly takes time to develop.
Pearls to ponder:
Apply all of the above to Abba Father, Jesus Christ, and
Holy Spirit. Start the process of getting to know Them by deliberately choosing
times and places where you spend time with God, and with Him only – no cell
phones, no social media, no work-related emails. Wait patiently for the
connection to come, it may take many attempts, even many weeks! Just turn up
faithfully and keep disciplining your mind to stay focussed on Him, use your
imagination to help you. This relationship will deepen as you persevere because
if you receive love, you will give love, and He loves you unconditionally – you
do not have to be anxious because you do not feel up to standard! He has
promised to make you what you ought to be: 1 Peter 5:10 After you have
suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and
favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to
be]. So don’t wait until you feel good enough or spiritual
enough – just show up!
