Knowing and Being Known

Thoughts from Sunday's worship:

Jesus knew those whom he chose, and allowed them to know Him. Jesus knows us like no one else does, and invites us to know Him. Think about some of the phrases or ideas that we sometimes take for granted:

God lives in us

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit

Jesus comes into our hearts

God is my life...

Sometimes we make these statements, or others like them, without really pondering how incredible they really are. The truth is, there is an intimate, supernatural, mystical, unexplainable connection between the God of the universe and each one of us.

God created us in God's image. We reflect God's nature, and character. These days I'm thinking less about God's authority and knowledge--seeing God as above and beyond--and thinking more about God's love and connection with us; seeking to experiences God's presence.

God knows us, because we are His. God cares deeply about each thought, word, decision, conversation, fear, and emotion.

God knows us, and longs for us to know Him--not just about Him, but to really know  God intimately, personally.

One of the primary ways we know and experience God is by knowing and experiencing one another. When we are known, when we let someone else into our lives; we allow God to speak into our lives. 

When we listen and serve and love one another, God is in the midst of that. We connect with the divine in one another.

The Church is the Body of Christ. That is an incredible mystery, but there is this sense of knowing God by knowing each other. Loving God by loving one another. Serving God by serving our neighbor. 

God already knows what we are thinking and feeling, yet still asks us to share with Him. Something special happens when we choose to enter into that intimate connection, when we open up and show God who we are, and how we feel.

This also happens when we reveal who we are to one another. God is there, listening with us, loving us, drawing us to Him, and to each other.