“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
Have you ever felt like you know about God, but not God Himself?
If so, I’ve been there too.
This is a trap that many Christians fall into. Those that tend to lean toward the rules, the disciplines or the religion of Christianity, are often the ones that feel like they know God in their heads, but not their hearts.
I struggled with this for a long time. I’m a Type A personality, meaning I like to remain organized, aware and in control. I was taught at a very young age to read the Bible every day, memorize verses and to be able to recall the stories from the Old Testament. I was taught that God loves everyone, so much so that He died for our sins on the cross. I even knew that He loved me and created me intentionally and with a purpose.
Throughout my journey with Christ, I continued to learn more and more things about Him. I knew His characteristics, who He was and what He does for us, but still, I never felt like I knew Him like I know other people in my life. It is similar to when you know of someone, rather than knowing them directly. You may know what they are generally like or who they are, but not through your own experience with them. I felt like I was living through others’ relationships with Christ and trusting their experience with Him even though I wasn’t feeling any of it for myself.