Knowing God, Not Just Knowing About God

I'm charming.

My sophomore year of high school, I learned something about Christianity that changed everything.

I was actually at a church lock-in, of all places. We had just finished playing a gripping game of "Who Can Kick the Basketball Into the Goal From Half-Court," and we were taking a little break. As we sat down in a circle talking, one of the leaders started saying some things about God that I'd never heard before.

"You can know as much as you want ABOUT George Washington, but it doesn't mean you KNOW him."

"You can talk to someone all you want. But if they don't talk back to you, you don't KNOW them."

"You can know facts about God, but if He doesn't talk back to you, you don't KNOW Him."

What?

My mind was blown. I went home and couldn't go to sleep. I started talking to God in a way I never had before. "God... do you want to talk to me?" I started asking questions that required an answer. I started listening. And that's when I finally realized the truth about God. He wants us to know Him, not just know about Him.

Nothing was ever the same again.

This is the story of how I started meeting with God. It's the story of when I realized a relationship was a two way thing, and when I realized God wanted one of those with me. It was the most important thing that's ever happened to me.

There are plenty of high schoolers in the same place as I was. There are more people who don't listen for the Shepherd's voice because they don't know He wants to speak to them.

It's a two way conversation.

Talking and listening.

If you do ministry with young people, many of them probably don't understand that God wants to talk to them. Sadly, few high schoolers know that hearing God's voice is an essential component of a relationship with God.

What can we do to change that? How can we bring them to the feet of the Savior?

In Bible studies, I try really hard to encourage my friends to look for God's voice in scripture (the Word of God). Here are some valuable questions:

"What verse is doing something to your heart?"
"Why do you think that is?"
"If God was trying to tell you something through this verse, what might that message be?"

In my experience, high school kids quickly jump to moralism when confronted with Sin and the Gospel, instead of the idea that God actually wants to meet with them. How can we encourage them to have a REAL encounter with a REAL God? After all, Jesus didn't die so that we would stop doing as much bad stuff. He wants us. Because he knows if the inside is transformed, the outside will soon follow.

Getting to know God is what transforms a person. I know from experience. The facts are great, but God wants to do a lot more than give people a history lesson.

Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

John 17:3 - "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."