knowing anything about this mysteriously cute, smart guy.
Our freshman year in high school came and went as well. Let’s
just say we did not have any of the same classes, so we did not
run into each other. Then in our sophomore year somehow we
ended up having an art class together. I thought, Maybe a
brainiac and a nonbrainiac can at least have art in common,
maybe.
At that point all I knew about the super-smart and cute guy
was that his name was Dirk, he was in my grade, now in my art
class, and he was still as cute as ever. Cute and smart, what a
great combination! That was it though—the complete sum of
my knowledge of him at that time.
I think some of us approach God that way too. We know a lot
about Him. We can state our facts, quote important verses, and
have the main Bible stories memorized, but to have a personal
relationship with Him, to know His heart, to speak to Him as a
friend is where the relationship stops.
At that time I had not spent any time with Dirk. I had only
observed him from afar. I knew information about him from my
friends. I learned that he had an older sister and a younger
brother. My friends told me he had attended the same school
since kindergarten. From studying him I could tell his style and
what sports he played. But it was all facts and no relationship.
Is that how you approach God? Do you know lots of important
facts about Jesus? Maybe where He was born, how old He was
when He died. What about His friends? Maybe you know their
names and remember some of the stories Jesus told. But that’s
the kicker, knowing a lot about someone doesn’t mean you
know them. It just means you know about them.