The Single Most Important Thing Every Christian Needs to Know
As a mentor, I have asked a number of my students over the years, “what is the single most important thing that every Christian should know?” I received various answers most of which were along the lines of, “Jesus loves you,” or “you are forgiven.” I found these answers a little bazaar. Don’t get me wrong, they are very important Christian themes, but they overlook something a little more basic, a little more essential.
One of the most awkward moments in life is when you have a crush on a girl, for who knows how long, and your friend takes the liberty to let her know. The response is, “aww, that’s cute. Who are you?” Perhaps you were never that person, perhaps you are the person on the receiving end. You hear through the grapevine that someone you don’t know or never met thinks you’re cute and you must decide if that’s cute or creepy. Isn’t that exactly who we make God to others? He is that weird guy that people mention in a roundabout way and thrown somewhere in there, “He loves you.” I mean can we make this any more awkward than a middle school courting ritual? Yes, yes we can.
We can stand on the street corner or knock on the front door of someone we ourselves don’t even know and tell them about some intimate relationship they have with someone they don’t know. Oh, and let’s not just focus on love let’s make it about forgiveness. Imagine you are at the grocery store or school or work, when someone approaches you as says, “He forgives you.” You reply with a concerned look, maybe a glance over your shoulder. They continue with, “And He loves you.” This has not helped to set you any more at ease than the first statement did. Eyebrows raised you ask, “who?” They reply, “Jesus.” With clear confusion on your face you ask, “The gardener?”
The awkwardness can be illustrated in several ways, but the fact of the matter is that the single most important thing every Christian needs to know is God. Only in the adolescent mind does someone say I like you and in the next minute they are boyfriend and girlfriend. If we believe that God loves us, that we are forgiven, we must first understand by whom? There is always a level courting that happens in relationships, a period of getting to know each other and learning about one another. Which is why I always suggest to my students to know God. Make this a starting point, learn about Him, who He is, how He behaves, what does He like and dislike.
If you consider yourself a Christian, you must know who Christ is first. So, where do we begin? The bible is a good starting point but remember, the story of Christ does not begin in the Gospels. Take a moment out of your day, write everything you know about a friend, family member or significant other. List the things they love, the things they hate, the things that make them unique. Then see if you can name just as many about God. Start by reading the bible and if possible, talk with somebody that knows God. Seek to know God first.
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