Knowing God
By Anna Woofenden

The idea of "knowing the Lord" in our culture today has been infused with instant salvation, images of an angry God and a sacrificial son, and judgment for anyone who does not choose to accept Jesus. I hear the words "Do you know Jesus?" and my guard goes up and my skepticism comes forward. But is knowing Jesus, knowing God, something to be skeptical and negative about? No, of course not. Knowing God, knowing our Creator can be the greatest source of joy, understanding, energy and light in our lives. It can give us a deep peace, a trust in something bigger than ourselves and the gift of knowing that there is a plan for our lives. Knowing God is the foundation of our spiritual path and a journey that will last through eternity.

The book Heaven and Hell starts out by stating, "First and foremost, we need to know who the God of heaven is, since everything else depends on this" (Heaven and Hell 2). Our foundation, our base, the ground work we build on, is knowing who God is.

Today, I ask myself "Do I know the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of heaven and earth?" Some days I answer with a confident "Yes! I know the Lord and He’s doing amazing things in my life!" Other days I am more intellectual "Well, I know and believe the Lord exists, there are plenty of teachings to back it up, but I don’t really feel it today." Then there are the moments where it seems impossible that there’s a loving God amongst the pain and chaos and although this is when I need the Lord most, I begin to doubt. Each of these states spurs me on to know the Lord better, to build a stronger relationship with Him, and to be in touch with the Lord’s care of my life.

How do we build and strengthen this relationship? How can I, one finite individual, be in touch with the infinite Creator of the universe? The teachings of the New Church show us the pathway to this relationship. They teach us that the Lord, God of heaven and earth, came down to earth in human form so that each one of us can have a relationship with a visible, human God. The Lord took on a human form and walked through a human life. He experienced every pain, sorrow and temptation that we will ever experience. He fought (and won!) every temptation and created a fair playing ground for each of us to live our lives. He lived His life on earth to create a place of spiritual freedom for each of us and to show us how to live. He showed us that spiritual growth is a process and that salvation comes from shunning the evils that come at us, from believing in the Lord, and from living a good life. The Lord gave us a new way to know Him and connect with Him.

Getting to know the Lord can feel daunting and many of us don’t know where to start. Step back for a moment and think about the relationships you have with other people. What is it that you do to have a healthy relationship? You talk to them, you spend time with them, you do things to express love, you trust them, you tell them what you appreciate about them, and so on. The same principles apply to our relationship with the Lord.

We need to communicate with the Lord through prayer and reading the Word. Prayer is not something that’s reserved for a few minutes at church on Sunday. Prayer is constantly available for us to communicate with our Creator. Let prayer become woven into the fabric of your day—tell God your struggles, thank Him for the blessings, and ponder ideas with Him. Create a space for Him to speak back to you. One of the clearest ways that the Lord speaks to us is when we read and meditate on His Word.

Spend time with the Lord. Healthy relationships require our time. Think if you told your child, "I love you and because of that I’m going to spend 45 minutes a week talking to you, listening to you and appreciating you. The rest of the week, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to take care of you or pay any attention to you. I have other priorities, but I still do love you." Would this work for a child? Of course not! Healthy relationships require our time.

Express love to the Lord. Tell the Lord how grateful you are for your life on a daily basis. Spend some time in the evening going back over your day and thanking the Lord for the blessings. Pay attention in the moment to the things that you’re grateful for and let the Lord know Put your trust in the Lord. It’s hard for many of us to trust others; we’d rather keep all the control in our own hands. But trust is a crucial part of a healthy relationship. If the idea of trusting God feels overwhelming to you, start with the little things. Tell the Lord that you’re going to trust Him with a conversation or a simple decision. See how it works and build your trust from there.

Knowing God doesn’t have to be a mystery or an overwhelming concept. Knowing God can be the place where you find your greatest joy and peacefulness. Knowing God is a process, and He gives us all the tools we need. The more we know God, the more our lives can be in line with His plan and the more happy and fulfilled our lives will be.