Jen’s Gem: Seek God for His Who, not His Do.

“I know a lot of people.” This was my response when folks would ask me for a referral to help them promote their small business. The truth is, I do know a lot of people. Due to over twenty-five years of corporate jobs, networking, and through friends and family, I am connected to a lot of people. I’m an “All Star” on LinkedIn and many people can claim that they know me.

However, do they really?

Oh sure, they know I worked at this job or that. They know I was once the founder of a baby gift business. They know that today I’m a freelance writer, a mom, a homeowner, among other things. It’s even possible, as a subscriber to my blog that we have never met so you know me only through the lens of this blog. Many people know about me, but they don’t necessarily know me. They know my “do” but not my “who.”

We tend to label the people who we know tangentially as “acquaintances.” Our lives have touched at some point or another, but they are not the people we call when we’re going through a tough time or want to share a big win. This type of news is reserved for those who really know us, our inner circle, our peeps, our confidantes.

But even within these select few, we may whittle down our choices even further when sharing certain categories of information. For example, if I’m having an issue with my house that requires someone with “home repair cred,” I will call upon my oldest brother who has built two houses and knows everything “house.” If I’m struggling with a business issue, I’ll call upon my good friend who’s a whiz at all things business related.

As humans, we put the people we know in their respective “do” boxes. What can they do for me? How can they help me with their knowledge, expertise, or some other tangible trait? I believe for many people, this is also how they think about God.  They know about Him, but they do not know Him. They know His “do,” but they do not know His “who.”

Let’s look at an example or two of the God’s “do’s”:

• Splitting the Red Sea so that the Israelites could escape the tortures of Egypt.
• Turning water into wine at a friend’s wedding.
• Transforming two loaves of bread and five fishes into enough food to feed the multitudes.
• Healing the lepers, the blind, and the afflicted.
• Raising people from the dead. 

These are pretty impressive “do’s!” Wouldn’t we all want to know someone who can do things like this? We’d scramble to get into their inner circle and be considered their friend. Think about it. If you had a one-on-one connection to people who could get you front row seats at concerts, or a discount on travel, or any other desire, you’d be pretty happy, right?

However, how do you think that friend would feel if they knew the only reason you were their friend was because of what they could do for you? Do you think they would feel used, especially when you only call upon them when you want or need something? I know I would and I believe God feels the same way.

When we choose to know God only for what He can do for us, I think this is hurtful to Him.

Sure, He wants to bless us with the desires of our heart, but that’s only a tiny piece of who He is. We may desire a solution to our problem or a trinket du jour, but He desires a relationship with us. He wants to be in that inner circle I mentioned above. He wants to be one of our peeps.

How do we do this? I mean, He’s God! It’s simple really. The way to get to know God the Father better is to know His Son, Jesus. Everything that Jesus did or was, is exactly like God. So, the more we know Jesus, the more we know God.

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30
 
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

This week I’d like to encourage you to think about your relationship with God. Do you simply know about Him or do you really knowHim? Is He an acquaintance of yours or is He a close friend? If you’d like to get to know Him better, I encourage you to read the Gospel of John. It’s an easy read of Jesus’ life  as told by one of his closest confidantes, from before the universe was created through His death and resurrection.

I’m certain that after reading this, you’ll know more about God’s “who” than His “do” and it will transform your life.