That I May Know Him

Posted in By Patty Kennedy 1 comments


"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10).

Many people seem to think the one great aim in life is "finding themselves." They relentlessly pursue whatever they think might make them happy, and they resent any "interruptions" along the way.

For a Christian, the aim should be knowing Christ and realizing HIM in every situation. What others deem to be "interruptions" are very likely what God is using to grow us and shape us.

I love how Oswald Chambers describes this dynamic:
The spiritual saint never believes circumstances to be haphazard or thinks of his life as secular and sacred; he sees everything he is dumped down in as the means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Have you ever felt like you'd been "dumped down" into a difficult situation -- something over which you have absolutely no control? Your spouse leaves you. Your child rebels and walks away from God. Someone you love goes to prison. Your pastor leaves the church following a moral failure. These are all very serious things that may cause us to despair and give up hope.

We are also "dumped down" into circumstances that are merely annoying -- still things over which we have no control, but are much less serious. Your toddler suddenly finds sleep offensive, and every night is a battle. The driver in front of you on a two-lane road can't seem to go more than 40 miles per hour, though the speed limit is 60. You get all ready to mow your acreage, only to find your mower has a flat tire.

It is obvious that the cause of irritation in all these circumstances is that we are not in control. What we forget is that we are not supposed to be in control if we are Christ followers. Rather than reacting to adverse circumstances with irritation or despair, we should view them as avenues of intimacy -- opportunities to know Jesus as He really is, and have the mind of Christ about every situation.

Let us take Oswald Chambers' wisdom to heart. Never believe anything in your life is haphazard or coincidental, but as a means of securing the knowledge of Jesus Christ.