A quick Google search gives Christians plenty of options for how to “know God better”. But is that really the goal? It could just be me, but “better” makes me feel like I’m not doing it right, and I have to try harder.

There’s only one verse in the NIV Bible that uses this “know…better” phrase. Ephesians 1:17 says: “…may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” But it’s not in the original Greek: “…may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.”

What does “better” mean? From Oxford Languages:

• more excellently or effectively
• to a greater degree; more
• more suitably, appropriately, or usefully

I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “better” in my close relationships. “I want to know my parents better”, “I want to know my wife better”, “I want to know my kids better”. Talking like that makes me feel like I’ve been doing something wrong or not doing enough.

It would make more sense if we were talking about knowing the Bible better, as in: “I want to know the Bible more excellently and effectively. I want to know it to a greater degree. I want to know the Bible more suitably, appropriately and usefully.”

But my relationship with God is so much more personal. It’s like the verse says: through his Spirit he reveals to us more of who he is and what that means for us. Paul continues praying for revelation in the next verses:

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. – Ephesians 1:18-19

Can I just receive whatever he shows me about himself as he opens up my heart? Then, I guess you could say I would know him better…. Nope, still don’t like it 🙂