Know God, Know Life

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for you is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.”

— J. I. Packer

What some will think is a gross underestimation of the difficulty involved in life—to think that God could be the answer to all of life’s problems—many of us attest to be true. Knowing God is the solution neither underestimates the difficulties of life, nor does it overestimate God’s power to institute change.

Millions over the Earth today enjoy their lives a whole lot more because they know God. They know life because they know God. They know life in context because of their understanding of creation, the fallen nature of humankind, their personal redemption in Christ Jesus, toward their restoration vouchsafed in the Holy Spirit.

Still, there are many who remain suspicious. They cannot believe in God or they will not believe in God. More is the pity for them. Their hearts shut off their eyes and ears to the love their hearts need. Their minds are blockaded from the truth; a truth that is hidden unless, by faith, there is the initial opening of a mustard-seed-sized belief.

Can the millions be wrong? Could they all be lying? Could it be that the transformations they say are due to God are fictional? Could it be that their love is wrong? No, there are too many testimonies of truth to deny the power of God; miracles that have occurred, and do occur, everywhere, every day, over the world.

The Promise of All Promises

When we consider the title—know God, know life—and we meditate on the meaning of this phrase—we begin to conceptualise the boundless nature of the power of God to deliver us upon all promises.

The promise of all promises is to know the meaning of life, which just begins with words and ends in a world of meaning which cannot be plumbed. But what we can know is a gorgeousness of being:

Know God, know peace,

Know God, know love,

Know God, know grace,

Know God, know joy,

Know God, know gratitude,

Know God, know beauty,

But... it must be said,

No God, no life.

The promise of all promises is double-edged.

If we are to know God, and, by that, know life, it’s not a wayward departure to acknowledge that where there is no God, for a person, there is no life for them (life established and governed in virtue). This may be an offensive statement to some, but the fact remains, only the Christian can contrast what life was like compared to how life is now.

When darkness has become light, and death has become known for what it was, because we are now alive in Christ, we are never more certainly convinced. The fact remains:

Know God, know life.

And a world of problems is placed into perspective.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.