"Know Him For Yourself"

“Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.” -- Philippians 3:8-9 MSG

 How many times have you met a person, and someone else begins to give you their opinion of that person, good or bad. Until you get to know the person for yourself, the other person's opinion sometimes shapes yours.  

The same goes for our relationship with Christ. Others' opinion of Christ, good or bad, can shape your opinion of Him and His power, until you get to know Him for yourself.  If your ‘circle’ is part of the turn up, and they see no benefit in having a relationship with Christ, then your initial opinion of Christ is negative.  But, if your ‘circle’ loves Christ, and believes in His infinite power, then your initial opinion of Christ is shaped in a positive light.  However, even with their positive opinion, your knowledge of Christ is still limited until you get to know Him for yourself.  How do you get to know Him for yourself?  Just as you spend time with a person when you’re trying to develop a relationship, the same goes for developing a relationship with Christ.  You spend time with Him by reading His Word, setting aside time for prayer and meditation. As in any relationship, you cannot experience the benefits of that relationship until you get to know them for yourself.  How will you get to know the character of Christ, and all that’s available to you as a child of God if you do not get to know Him for yourself? 

 Margaret Slaughter