Fully Known
CALEB BARNES // INTERN COORDINATOR
Everyone wants to be known in some shape form or fashion. The musician wants their music to be known: streaming on Spotify and the radio, downloaded on iTunes (do people still do this?), played live at venues across the country. The athlete wants their athleticism to be known: displayed on the highest levels in arenas and stadiums, broadcasted in every house across the globe, and their name worn on the back of every fan’s t-shirt. The celebrity wants their talents to be known: displayed in every blockbuster movie, their face plastered on every major product and billboard, and simply for attention they sometimes even want their private lives on all the tabloids.
The reality is they all want to be known, and can the same be said of us? Us “regular” people? Do we just want to be known by someone? By our friends, our families, our professors, our future employers? The answer is yes! I know for me it is. We all want them to see our hard work, our intelligence, our skills, our drive and ambition, our go-get ‘em attitude. This hunger to be known often leads us to put in long hours of studying to make the good grade, work long hours late into the night to impress the boss, put in extra hours at the gym to get faster and stronger for our coach (or maybe to impress the girl). All of these things are great ambitions to have! To achieve a goal, you have to put in the hard work. But here’s the next question: what happens when after all that hard work you still don’t feel known? You still don’t feel like anyone notices you? You still feel like no matter where you turn, there is no one to go to? Here is the best news you will ever hear (no exaggeration, I’m serious):
The God of the universe, the One who spoke the world into existence, knows YOU. In addition, He not only knows you, He knows everything about you. He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matt. 10:30, Luke 12:7), He knows the number of days you will live (Ps. 139:16), and He even knew you before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4)! How cool is that?! The King of kings, and Lord of lords, knows you by name! Not only that, He loves us and accepts us, flaws and all (Rom. 5:8)! So when we are out here doing all these great things, instead of doing them FOR love and acceptance, do them FROM love and acceptance, knowing that God already loves and accepts you. And this news is liberating! We no longer have to do things for the attention of others, we can know that we already have the attention of Jesus! This then frees us to do what God has called us to do: fear Him, and keep His commandments (Eccl. 12:13-14).
We exist to glorify God, and we do that by knowing Him and making Him known. Therefore, it is imperative that we change our perspective. While it is nice to aspire to be known by people and do things for people, ultimately we are called to know God and do all things for His glory (1 Cor. 10:31)! We are called to do things for His name and renown (Isa 26:8), not our own glory and fame. As we have studied all throughout this semester in Revelation, the things of this world will be here today and be gone tomorrow! But the glory of God will be here FOREVER!
So, what are you aspiring to? Do you want to be known? Or, do you want your life to be used for the glory of God so that HE is known?