We live in a world that constantly tells us what is worth pursuing. Success, influence, wealth, knowledge, comfort, and recognition are held up as worthy ambitions that promise satisfaction and purpose. Yet God confronts all of those pursuits with a stunningly simple declaration: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
According to God Himself, there is one pursuit that rises above every other pursuit in life: to know Him.
That may sound obvious to many Christians, but it is worth asking ourselves an honest question: Is knowing God truly the highest pursuit of our lives?
Many believers would readily say they know God, but far fewer could say they are actively pursuing a deeper knowledge of Him. We can easily devote countless hours to learning about current events, politics, sports, hobbies, or entertainment, while giving little attention to growing in our understanding of the God who created us. Over time, this leaves us with a dangerous imbalance. We may profess faith in God while possessing only small thoughts about Him.
And small thoughts about God inevitably lead to small worship.
This is why A.W. Tozer famously wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” That statement is true because every area of life is shaped by our view of God. Our fears, our decisions, our worship, our endurance through trials, and even our response to temptation are all connected to what we believe God is like. If our thoughts of God are distorted, our lives will become distorted as well. But if we know Him as He truly is, everything begins to change. This is why studying God matters. Sometimes Christians hear words like theology or the attributes of God and assume those subjects are reserved for pastors, professors, or seminary students. But nothing could be further from the truth. Knowing God is not an academic exercise for a select few; it is the very purpose for which every Christian was created.
Jesus Himself said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is not merely about a destination we reach one day. It is about a relationship we begin now and will enjoy forever.
Like any relationship, that knowledge deepens over time.
After decades of marriage, a husband can rightly say he knows his wife, yet he also recognizes there is still more to learn about her heart, her character, and her ways. The relationship grows deeper because the knowledge grows deeper. The same is true, infinitely more so, with God. We never exhaust the depths of His beauty, His wisdom, or His glory. Even after a lifetime of walking with Christ, we should still be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “that I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10).
But there is an important distinction we must make. If we are going to know God, we must know Him truly.
Left to ourselves, we naturally create a god in our own image. We are prone to imagine a god who conveniently agrees with our preferences, tolerates our sin, and fits comfortably within our cultural expectations. Yet Scripture consistently warns us against this form of idolatry. To think wrongly about God is to worship something other than the God who actually is.
This is why God has graciously revealed Himself to us through His Word.
We do not invent God. We receive His self-revelation. We do not tell God who He is.
We listen as He tells us who He is. And what we discover is glorious.
We discover a God of steadfast love, whose covenant faithfulness never fails (Jeremiah 9:24). We discover a God of justice, who always does what is right. We discover a God of righteousness, whose character is perfectly holy and whose ways are flawless. As we study His attributes in the weeks to come, we will discover His sovereignty, His holiness, His wisdom, His goodness, His immutability, His grace, His wrath, and His glory.
Each attribute reveals another facet of the beauty of the one true God.
But there is a danger we must avoid.
It is possible to accumulate knowledge about God without ever truly knowing Him. We can become fascinated with theology while remaining unchanged by it. We can collect facts while neglecting worship. The goal of studying God is never merely information; it is transformation.
Theology should always lead to doxology.
As we learn who God is, our response should be greater love, deeper trust, fuller obedience, and more joyful worship. Every truth we learn about God should become fuel for prayer, praise, and communion with Him.
The Christian life is not ultimately about becoming an expert in theology. It is about becoming a worshiper.
That is why meditation is so essential. We must learn to take the truths we discover about God and dwell upon them before Him. We think deeply about His attributes, apply them to our lives, and turn them into prayers of thanksgiving and praise. Over time, knowledge about God becomes knowledge of God.
And that changes everything.
In a world filled with endless competing pursuits, God graciously tells us where to invest our lives.
Do not boast in wisdom.
Do not boast in strength.
Do not boast in wealth.
Boast in this: that you understand and know the Lord (Jeremiah 9:24).
There is no greater privilege. There is no higher pursuit. And there is no deeper joy than knowing the God who has made Himself known to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.