Seek Like You Mean It!

There is nothing more irritating than when I have just sat down, with books, or computer on my lap, wrapped in my blanket and I hear, "mom, I can't find_______." (Fill in shoe, blanket, cup, toy, whatever here.) After much explaining of where I last saw the _______, I still hear the "I still can't find my_______." So I give it a good couple minutes for her to search more vigorously, even though she has convinced me that she has looked everywhere for her________, to which I finally dig out from my cozy blanket and unheap the piles of books/computer I have on my lap, working, and I get up, go up the stairs, and look in the exact spot I said the _______ was. OH! And it's there. Right in that spot my mind recalled. I swear I can recall the exact spot the baby kitty doll is, but for the life of me can't remember to send an email.

Now, I know that a baby doll isn't as crucial to find in life as Christ is. We are told to seek Him first and foremost, and this is because we need Him most. However, I do believe we tend to get distracted along the way. We see a toy we need, or a career path that looks appealing, or something that we desire so much. None of these things are bad, but we don't always stop to consider "is this what God wants for me?" We tend to make plans, execute plans on our own behalf, and glance up at God for a second to make sure He's good with what you're doing. Rather than seeking wholeheartedly for His direction, we go with what feels "good" or "right". Truth is, God's plan doesn't always feel "right" at first. I'm sure when Abraham was told to take his only son to the top of the mountain as a sacrifice, that plan didn't feel right either. (Genesis 22:1-19)

Jesus tells us to seek like we NEED Him. Like we absolutely can't live without Him, and we can't. The problem is, we try to fill our longings with other things in this world, when really the only thing that will fulfill that emptiness is God. We need to seek Him wholeheartedly, without distraction, like nothing else matters. Psalm 42:1-2 expresses this longing:

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

What does your longing for God look like? Do you long to meet with Him, seeking Him like He is the only One Who can satisfy your thirst for eternity. I just love this passage because it is a reminder for us to be satisfied in Him, wondering when we can meet with Him again.

I'm sure many know the verse, Jeremiah 29:11, but what comes after that verses is everything:

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declare the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord..."  - Jeremiah 29:11-14a

We can take comfort in the part about having hope and a future, but with it comes a call to seek the Lord and call upon Him. We are told if we seek Him with all our heart, He will be found. We can get so distracted trying to find Him in the midst of the clutters of life. He is like the lost shoe under the couch that we don't always think about until we absolutely need it, then we get distracted on the way to find Him. Strive to seek Him like you need Him all the time in every hour, minute, second.

In conclusion to our little series on Seeking and Finding, consider the things you are seeking truly. Do you set your plans and see how God fits into them, or do you seek God's plan and find your place in it? Seek humility and strive for unity because it is critical to our mission. Seek solitude in times of overwhelming life, so you can be drawn back to His care. Seek contentment when you feel like life isn't fair, and find gratitude and healing through in the midst of it. Seek relationships and open doors of opportunities to change not only someone else's life, but your own.

Scriptures to Read:
Jeremiah 29:11-13, Matthew 7:7-9, Psalm 42:1-2

Questions to Ponder:
Which one of the attributes we talked about do you want to strive to seek more and more in your life? (Humility, Contentment, Solitude, Relationships) How will you do this?
How will seeking God above all else be your foundation as you go about this challenge?
How is your longing for God? How can you be motivated to seek Him like you are vitally thirsty and can't live without Him?