Knowing Jesus: Four Ways to Go Deeper in Your Relationship
The peepers sing their sweet serenade while raindrops crackle like fire licking up a pine bough. I search the skyline for a hint of lingering daylight and breathe a prayer that God will take me deeper on this journey of knowing Jesus through experience.
“What do I need to know as we prepare to head into the summer season of noise and activity?” I pray.
The words of Philippians 3:8 come to mind: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”
I’m reminded that the most important pursuit in my life is knowing Jesus more deeply.
Why Knowing Jesus Matters More Than Anything Else
Dear friend, what is the most important pursuit in your life?
You might be investing your energy into making the world a better place through your career. Maybe you’re a mom, and you’re trying to raise godly children. You might be a student with hopes for good grades and a powerful platform from which you might impact the world for Christ. Perhaps you’re part of a thriving ministry that brings healing and hope to the hurting.
God calls us to join him on mission in the world; however, it’s important to remember that excelling in our careers and callings is not our highest goal.
I spent decades finding my identity through my achievements. As a student, I was proud of my perfect grades. When I became a teacher, I was proud of my career choice and my vision for making a positive impact on the world around me.
My accomplishments felt fulfilling for a while, but eventually, I needed to accomplish something else to feel fulfilled. God radically transformed my life by leading me to the words of Philippians 3:8, which tells us to consider all of our achievements garbage in comparison to knowing Jesus in an experiential way.
Our daily work matters. God wants us to partner with him and carry his love into the world. But doing God’s work is not the most important pursuit in our lives; instead, knowing Jesus is the most important pursuit.
Knowing Jesus Through Experience
In the original language, the word for “knowing” is more than head-knowledge. The word refers to an experiential way of knowing Jesus—a kind of knowing that comes from doing life alongside him. We come to know Jesus experientially as we watch for his work in our everyday moments, ask him to help us trust him, follow his guidance, seek his comfort, and anchor ourselves in his promises.
About ten years ago, I decided to claim Philippians 3:8 as my life verse. Above all else, I want my life to be about knowing Jesus—more and more with each passing day. I want to live a life of love, and love begins with knowing Jesus.
How to Live It Out
But what does knowing Jesus look like on a practical level? How do we come to know Jesus through experience? Here are a few points to remember:
1. We join him in what he is doing.
We come to know Jesus through experience as we watch for his movement in our lives and partner with him by loving others. This includes asking him for guidance as we interact with the people he places in front of us.
Every day, Jesus calls us to be vessels of his love.
We join him in his work by intentionally carrying his love to the broken world around us.
2. We keep glancing in his direction all day long.
Song of Solomon 4:9 says we captivate Jesus’ heart with one glance in his direction. The more frequently we glance toward him, the more we will encounter his joy and love. Jesus’ joy and love will transform our hearts.
Glancing toward Jesus is as simple as pausing in the middle of your day to take a deep breath, imagining him as he sits on his heavenly throne, and remembering that he loves you deeply. He is with you.
The more frequently we look toward Jesus, we will encounter his joy and love. And Jesus' joy and love will transform our hearts. #seekingGod Click To Tweet3. We hide his Word in our hearts and apply it to our lives.
Do you want to know Jesus more deeply? Spend time in his written Word.
I try to begin every day with even a few minutes spent reading my Bible. As a friend recently pointed out, God already knows everything about us. We get to know him better by reading the Bible.
Some people feel frustrated because nothing spectacular seems to happen during their Bible reading times. However, I’ve learned to look at this practice as a spiritual discipline that nourishes my soul even when I cannot see the ways God is working in the process.
In the same way that a bowl of oatmeal provides sustenance for my body (even though it’s not always an exciting breakfast), God’s Word sustains my spirit (even on the days when I can hardly remember what I read).
I also encourage you to hide his Word in your heart by memorizing Scripture. Think of it throughout your day and allow his Word to guide your paths. You will begin knowing Jesus more deeply the moment you begin seeking him through his written Word.
4. Knowing Jesus more deeply happens when we lean into grace.
In his book, Renovated, Dr. Jim Wilder wrote that God imparts his grace when he works in our lives to accomplish what we cannot do for ourselves. This definition radically changed my perception of grace (so much that I wrote an entire book about it, called Lean Into Grace).
Grace is more than God’s unmerited favor. Grace is God’s work to accomplish what you have been unable to do in your own strength.
Where do you need to lean into grace? Do you need Jesus to help you trust him in uncertainty or break free from a pattern of sin? Ask him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. In the process, you will come to know him in an experiential way.
~~~
As for me, I return to the chaos of the house as the rain falls softly, and the peepers sing. Walking through the door, I scoop the little one into my arms and leave the messy floors and scattered toys for later. This way of living present in my moments feels like it might just be ushering me into the life I long for. It feels like I might just be encountering Jesus.
A Free Devotional to Help You Know Jesus More Deeply:
Lastly, I have a gift for you today: my free 31-day devotional Mornings With Jesus. Mornings With Jesus is not your average daily devotional—it is so much more! This devotional is unique because, in addition to daily readings and reflection questions, it also offers a special section at the end of each post called “Your Invitation to Encounter God and Begin Well.” These exercises will help you actually encounter the Living God during your quiet time. Instead of asking $9.99, I’m offering this devotional for free with promo code JESUS for a limited time right here.
These Two Books are Free on Kindle Unlimited as eBooks and Also Available in Print:
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence. Find this life-changing book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or for 12.99 in print right here. (You can sign up for a free three-month Kindle Unlimited trial if you are not a member.) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
Calling All Moms and Daughters!
Additionally, my 12-year-old daughter, Bekah, and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book to help mothers and daughters grow closer together while connecting with God. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section. Multitudes of mothers, daughters, mentors, and younger women are being transformed by this book! You can find this book in eBook form for free on the Kindle Unlimited Plan or buy a print copy for 11.99 right here.
