What is theology? Is it a four-letter word? Is it something that only churchmen need? Is it something that we need sparingly, like a trip to the dentist? Is it like an insurance policy that we need to cover ourselves for heaven?
Theology is the study of God, it is the knowledge of God. It is more than intellectual assent, but it is not less than that. We need to have a cognitive understanding of who God is, and what He does, to understand our lives. And then theology is the personal knowledge that can transform our lives to become Christ-like.
Augustine penned these words in his classic Confessions, that explains his understanding of theology.
"And even so humanity, which is but a part of your creation, longs to praise you. You inspire us to take delight in praising you, for you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
It is good theology to know that we have been created by God and for God, and our hearts will ultimately be restless until they find their rest in God. We can find our purpose in God alone.
Jesus also taught us that we can begin to experience eternal life in our knowledge of God in this life. In John 17:3 we see, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." In Christ, we can know God, and Jesus describes this as eternal life.
When we see that theology is the knowledge we need to have a personal relationship with God, we then seek to live for God in all of life. The Godward life is the best life indeed.
