1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5
What did I learn about God?
God and the Word existed before time began. All of creation was made by the Word, and life and light come from the Word, overcoming darkness. This means that God and the Word know intimately every aspect of creation, including me.
What does this teach me about how I should live?
There are times when I find myself appalling. Honesty can be scary and heartbreaking. I am not who I want to be, and at times I tire of projecting a better version of myself.
But what I have learned about God changes how I live. Because God knows me, made me, sustains me, and intimately knows me, I don’t have to pretend with God or myself. I have hope in God. He can remake me, redeem me, renew me. He can use me for good, even though I am lacking, sinful, and disappointing.
Knowing that God knows me and is not appalled by me, that He can use me for His purposes, gives me peace. I find myself feeling calmer because everything is not up to me. I trust God to pick up my slack, heal the wounds I inflict, and prop up what I neglect.
In practice, I find that I am less inclined to be defensive when I make mistakes or fall short in my role at work. I take responsibility and try to move forward.
In practice, the peace I have from knowing that God knows me makes me feel less needy for people’s approval. It frees me up to focus on how I can serve others. How can I encourage, support, or help them?
Photo by Rachel Strong on Unsplash
Life with Christ 