“Pleasure” and “fulfillment” often turn out to be disappointing, and that is certainly the case with material wealth. Possessions gained at the expense of higher values have an uncanny way of turning against their owners and breaking their hearts.
We desperately need to have something that defines our identity and determines the value of our lives, and if God’s deeds are not allowed to do these things, then it’s only a matter of time before we begin looking to our own deeds to fill the gap.
The very respectability of our lives may mask a good deal of self-will and self-sufficiency. Godliness means that we do what we do “as to the Lord,” and there is a considerable distance between the life of self-governed goodness and the life of God-governed faith.
Too often, we stop seeking God and become occupied with ourselves. But God is patiently waiting for us to return to Him and begin taking Him seriously. He is ready to begin undoing the damage that we’ve done in the headlong pursuit of our “selves.”
As far as God is concerned, open-mindedness on our part is more than intellectual curiosity. It is the delight with which the sincere embrace everything they can learn about their Father. When such people seek God, He is sure to be found.
It may have been a long time since we deferred to God on any question that really mattered to us, and the thought of openly admitting how poorly we’ve lived our lives is embarrassing, to say the least. Pride dies a hard death.
Let us not despise the purity that can come out of grief. When our hearts hurt so badly that words fail us as we try to speak to God, let us not be afraid simply to shed our tears, if they will come, and to let our groanings be a sufficient prayer.
It is unthinkable that we would approach God with anything less than a humble, contrite spirit. If we have any idea of how serious our sins really are, we will make every effort to show respect to the King against whom we have so foolishly rebelled.
When we try to conform externally to some of God’s will without giving Him our whole hearts, the attempt is frustrating. Halfway measures involve far more grief than wholehearted efforts. The joy of commitment can’t be enjoyed by the uncommitted.
Seeking God can never be a merely intellectual pursuit. Having thoughtfully read what God reveals of Himself in the Scriptures, we then have to take those truths and investigate them in our most practical relationships, such as our home and family.
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