Today was the first day of my "prideless" life. It was one of those epic sports information days. Into the office at 8:30 and leave at 10:30 at night. Soccer, soccer, volleyball, water polo. I'm really excited about Sunday, though, because I'm heading back to Ohio to see my favorite artist of all time, Phil Keaggy. But that is for another post.
I had the opportunity to take photos at the soccer matches today. Ever since I took photo classes at West Liberty, I have been hooked on photography. At Mercyhurst, we have the benefit of a quality camera with one of those big zoom lenses. I got a few quality shots, but as I walked around the field, the action seemed to keep moving away from me. Sure, I used the zoom. But if you know photography, you know that you can over use the zoom and nothing can replace being close to the action. Even with the zoom, shots can be slightly out of focus, a bit grainy, and they just don't have the effect that a shot taking from just a few feet away has. As I waited for the action to get close, I thought of how this is so much like my relationship with Jesus. I can know who he is (keeping my distance and using the zoom) or I can KNOW him (being right in the action, seeing every bit of possible detail in the image). The further I am from Christ (less time in prayer, fellowship, reading the word) the more blurred the lines of the relationship are, the less I hear from him, the less I can see him working in my life...just like the picture taking from 120 yards away. But if I get as close as I can to him, I will be able to see his plan for me clearly...just like I can see the sweat flying off the soccer players as I snap shots from 10 feet away.
Think to Luke 9 for a minute. Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They thought He may have been Elijah or John the Baptist. But Peter said, "The Christ of God." Peter KNEW Jesus. Then there was the rich ruler that asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. He knew he Jesus was, he knew all of the commandments and followed them. But he did not KNOW Jesus, because he did not want to sell all he had to follow Him. Even the demons knew who Jesus was. But knowing who He is doesn't mean we really KNOW Him. I need to stop using my zoom lens on Jesus Christ. I want to know him intimately and do His work. That means spending more time in prayer, fellowship and reading the word. Matthew 7:21-23 always gives me an uneasy feeling. He said "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven...Many will say to Me in that day, Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you..."
Ouch. But I can avoid that rejection just by drawing near. There is no reason to keep my distance from Jesus and no good reason to not KNOW him. It is not hard. He said so himself. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find...your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
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