What is it All About

Have you ever asked yourself this question: What is it all about?
It may be in several contexts we can ask ourselves this question, perhaps in relation to the meaning of life, but have you ever asked this question in relation to your faith and Christian life? Maybe you’re a bit scared of this question, because it may be associated with unbelief.
Sometimes it can be healthy to ask yourself some questions, and remember God does not get nervous because of it.

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I Was Not a Satisfied Christian
When I was in my late 30s and early 40s, I began to ask myself this question: What is my life and Christian life really about?
I had tried to do, and I also did a lot for God, I was (and I am) a missionary, but I felt there was always something more I had to do for God.
For almost 20 years I had been trying to get a breakthrough in my Christian life. I prayed and read the Bible regularly, I had fasted several times, I tried to live a holy life and shared the Gospel as best I could, but I never felt it was good enough. I wasn’t a contented Christian.

There were times when I felt a bit satisfied, and that was when I had accomplished something for God, such as: Had a good conversation with a non-Christian, received a good response to teaching I shared, when I had been in a meeting with a lot of praise and worship or after I had prayed, but the feeling did not last long.
This made me start asking myself this question: What is it all about?
Is it about what I have done and doing for God? Is it about how satisfied I can make God?

Are We Owing God Anything?
I have heard several Christians say: God has done so much for us! We owe to do something back for him! That are: We must pray, give the tithe, read your Bible, do not sin, evangelise and not least, if you are in a charismatic context: Praise and worship God, because for God desires our praise, I have heard someone say.

Is this so? Does God require anything of us? Are the purposes of our Christian life that we must give back to God for what he has done for us? I started asking myself this question.
When you hear this, you may have the same question: What is it all about?

Is it all about what we have to do for God? Can I tell you a truth and what will happen if you think so? You will be exhausted! This is often something you do not notice at first, especially when we are young or a new Christians, because then we are often geared up to do a lot and perform well, but after a while you get tired.
You find that you do not perform as well as you did before, or you feel that you should perform better and better. You should give more, you should pray more and so on.

What It’s Not About
Let me put it this way: The Christian life is not about what you have to accomplish, it is not about how much you have witnessed, how much you have given, how much you have prayed, how many Bible schools you have attended, how many times you have read through the whole Bible, or how much you sing worship songs.

I am by no means against praise and worship, but does God demand it of us?
I think in charismatic contexts we have made praise and worship more than it is. We can get the impression that it is something God requires and desires of us. Is God a Narcissist? Is He very concerned and occupied by that we must praise and worship Him so that He can feel good??
Praise and worship is helpful to us, it encourages and strengthen us in our faith and it focuses on what is positive and on Jesus, it gives us peace and joy. It is also a way of expressing our gratitude thankfulness and our love for God, and that’s all good and well, but does God require it? If God required it then God would not be love and he would have been a narcissistic God. (Unfortunately, many Christians give such an image of God)

There is also nothing wrong with reading our Bible, praying or witnessing for God, but do we do it for the right motives? That means: Is it something we do because we feel compelled or forced to do it, or do we do it because it is a desire that we have?

What is it All About Then?
Let me give you a key scripture here. This is from Jesus’ prayer before he went to the cross, and he prayed this both for his disciples and for all those who would come to believe in him, and that includes you and me.

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

This scripture gives a clear answer as to what it is all about! And what is it?
Look at it one more time before you read on!
… this is eternal life, what eternal life is about? And what is it all about?

To Know Him!

All God wants for you is that you should know Him!
We often quote this verse to to people who are not Christians, but this is not just about them! It’s about those who already are Christians too!
You may be a Christian without knowing him well, but it is not a satisfying Christian life.

What it is all about in this life, and in the next, is to know him!
Eternal life does not start in heaven either, it has already started. This is the eternal life..
We are in a relationship with Him now, and we will be in it forever. It is all about getting to know Him who is pure love, full of grace. A God who does not have a lot of demands.
All he wants, is to be in a love fellowship with you!

This is the Good News! They are almost too good to be true news, which is why there are so many who have trouble accepting it.
It’s easy to think: ‘It’s something I have to do, perform or show. Could it be true that God does not demands anything in return? ” But that is the truth!
God does not want your deeds or good works, everything is by grace, so that there is nothing you can boast of, like; your good deeds.
Eph 2: 8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

God is happy with you and he loves you right now, just choose to trust it, rest in it and yes get to know God better so you can find out more about him.

Some people think that I know everything about God now, I have been a Christian for a long time and I even went to Bible school for a year, so now it’s just about what I have to do for God. This is a wrong mindset! But sadly many think in this way.

Getting to know him will take an eternity, literally, and you will probably never get to know him fully, at least not down here.

When we turn it the right way up, that is: It is not about what we must do for God, but what he has already done for us. 
Then everything we do, such as: Pray, witnessing, give, sing praise and worship, do good deeds, etc. will come by itself, it is not a struggle anymore!

And that is the true Christian life!

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