THE GOD WHO SEEKS YOU

I remember distinctly when the idea of seeking God first became a reality in my life. I was 17 years old, and one of my older brothers had been “born again.” I didn’t know exactly what that meant. We were not-so-good Catholics at the time, and although we believed in God, and prayed from time to time, around my house there was never any real life in those things. But suddenly this brother of mine had found something real. When he and his wife would visit for the weekend and talk about God at the dinner table, you could feel what I now know is the presence of God. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and tugged on my heart.

Although I was more interested in girls and partying at the time, something awoke on the inside of me. I believe the Bible is the Word of God, so I believe that God created us for a relationship with Himself, because that is what the Bible says. I believe that every man, woman, and child among us is created with in innate sense of the eternal, and an internal homing beacon that points to God. I believe the words that my brother shared around our family table, coupled with the prayers and faith of my Mother, ignited that desire to seek God in my heart. It wasn’t too long before instead of sneaking off to my room in the basement to smoke a joint, I was sneaking down there to read the Bible (Actually there was a significant period where those two activities overlapped in my life. I was always careful to read first and smoke after, thinking that was the proper way to do it - oh my - but that’s another post). I didn’t need to hide my faith, my parents would have been thrilled, but I was still in stealth mode about the whole thing.

What I want to get at today is that while our seeking after God is a wonderful and foundational part of what Christianity is all about, there is something even more amazing to consider. In nearly every kind of “religion” on earth, at least those that portray God as a living being, there is some doctrinal concept of seeking God, or taking actions to appease a god or the gods. But unique to Christianity is the portrayal of a God who seeks after us. Jesus taught us that the Father is pleased to share His Kingdom with us (Luke 12:32). In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells three stories in a row designed to convey the idea that God thinks of us in terms of having great value, and that He is willing to work hard to search for us until He can have us and hold us again.

All the while, most of us have been spending our time avoiding God for a variety of reasons. Even most Christian people have no idea how high a value God has placed on them, let alone people who don’t know Him. Many Christians still see themselves as an embarrassment or a disappointment to God. They spend their time trying to achieve a level of morality, or a position in the church, that will make them feel acceptable to God. The truth is that God the Father gave Himself up in the person of His Son as an exchange for you and I. God not only said, but demonstrated the fact, that you are as valuable to Him as Jesus. I know, it’s hard to grasp, but that is the message of the Bible.

But wait, there’s more… what would you pay for… sorry, never mind, too many infomercials. God did all of this while we were still rejecting Him with all our might. He paid the price of our redemption, then started to chase after us, and woo us to Himself. Wow! We do serve an amazing God. Once you really get this, there is no need, and no room for all of the cheap substitutes for this relationship.

–Now go make some great choices!