We’ve become accustomed to functioning in a world filled with distractions, pressures, and performance-driven faith. In this type of environment, the most vital relationship we can cultivate is our personal relationship with God. Christianity isn’t about religious performance or public image, but about intimacy with the one who created us; it’s not built on church attendance, titles, or theological knowledge, but on personal encounters with God’s presence. Knowing Him for ourselves changes everything.
Strengthened by Knowing God
What’s important for us isn’t just knowing about God but truly knowing Him through experience. “But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). Strength and resilience are the fruit of intimacy with God. When we walk through trials and still stand, it’s not because of our own power, but because we’re walking with God, keeping company with Him, and letting Him sustain us.
Religion has taught us wrong; we confuse religious activity with relationship. People wear Christian T-shirts, quote Scripture, and attend church faithfully, yet don’t know God personally. Knowing Him isn’t proven by how long we’ve been saved or how many songs we can sing. It’s proven in the fire, when we’ve been through pain, lack, betrayal, and still trust Him.
Experiencing God as He Is
Like an acai berry, the church has added so many “sweeteners” to God that people no longer recognize His raw, unfiltered presence. We’ve added performance, entertainment, and self-promotion to the gospel. God is calling us back to Himself, without any additives. He wants us to taste and see that He is good (Psalm 34:8), not because of what He gives, but because of who He is.
True relationship with God transforms how we relate to others. When we carry His presence, we don’t need to manipulate, impress, or compete. We become vessels of His love, peace, and power. We can be reminded that the presence of God is enough.
Everything We Need
We don’t need to add anything to God or try to earn what we already have. When we walk into a room with Him, everything we need is already present. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16, NLT). This kind of vulnerability and healing can only happen in relationships rooted in God’s presence.
Knowing God enables us to stop hurting others and start healing them. We forgive even when we’re not forgiven. We love even when it’s not returned. That’s the fruit of knowing God.
Transparency and Honesty
Open hearts and honest relationships allow God to work in us and through us. “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you… As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also” (2 Corinthians 6:11, 13, NIV). When we know God personally, we’re no longer guarded or fake. We can be real with others because we’re secure in Him. We don’t need to perform or pretend.
We can love from a place of wholeness. God’s presence isn’t something we strive for, but something we carry. Walking into a situation with Him causes miracles to happen. It’s not because we’re powerful, but because He is.
Changed by God’s Presence
There are no limits with God. People can be healed, not because of a formula, but because someone else in the room simply brought God with them; this is the power of relationship. In relationships, whether romantic, familial, or spiritual, we often look to others to fill what only God can. However, when we know Him, we stop demanding from people what only He can provide.
We stop idolizing relationships and start stewarding them. We become givers instead of takers. We love from overflow, not from emptiness. God challenges us to stop trying to get more of what we already have.
We already have His presence. We already have His love. We already have His power. The problem isn’t that we lack, but that we don’t recognize what we carry.
Stopping Our Self-Efforts
When we know God, we stop striving and start abiding. We mustn’t use Him to get what we can’t achieve in the world. Too many people come to church looking for success, status, or solutions, but not for God Himself. This kind of mindset leads to disappointment and disillusionment.
God isn’t a means to an end; He is the end. Knowing Him gives us contentment in His presence alone. Relationships become healthier when we stop placing our expectations on human beings. Only God can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.
Firsthand Experience
Knowing God for ourselves is the foundation of every other relationship; this adds strength and stability. Being rooted in Him protects us from being shaken by rejection, betrayal, or loneliness. We’re anchored in love that never fails. This is the kind of love that empowers us to love others well.
We’ve been invited to experience God personally. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1, NLT). This happens not through someone else’s testimony, but through our own. When we have this experience, our relationships reflect His goodness.
A Powerful Love
A deep, loving relationship with God makes us safe places for others to encounter His love the way we have. We become peacemakers, encouragers, and truth-tellers. We stop competing and start collaborating. We stop judging and start serving.
Knowing God for ourselves isn’t a one-time event, but a lifelong journey. It requires intentionality, humility, and surrender. Despite the effort required, the reward is worth it. Every relationship we have is transformed when we let Him transform us.
A Return to the Basics
God is calling us to return to the heart of Christianity: relationship with Him. This is a reminder that we don’t need to perform, impress, or strive. We simply need to know Him. In knowing Him, we find everything we need for life and godliness.
What’s left for us to do is to pursue Him with all our hearts. We can build our lives on the foundation of His love. God asks us to allow our relationships to be shaped by His presence. Knowing Him for ourselves teaches us how to truly love others.
