God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
- St. Augustine
Many find seeking God too subjective a pursuit, with little or no immediate or even measurable benefits. Yet our physical, mental and social life on Earth is full of subtleties, some of which are essential to our health and well being.
The same is true spiritually. Without our best effort, we risk much in this life and the next. Up to and including enjoying the glory of the greatest of all blessings in time and eternity.
There may be as many opinions as to how and why to seek God as there are people. Many in the modern world find the prospect too daunting. Given the Creator's transcendence and majesty, as well as His apparent silence and distance, today billions find it simpler to "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die."
Yet in the end is it? As mortal beings, fearfully and wonderfully made, we desperately need answers to life's ultimate questions, and thus to know our Creator and Savior. Facing challenges and dangers in both time and eternity, as well as a terrible Adversary, what better use of our time and energy could there be?
Each of us decides whether it's worth the effort. Even deciding not to decide is a decision. Those seeking God then choose how much time and trouble to invest. Do we depend on others or get personally involved? If so, to what extent? What and how much am I willing to give to the pursuit? Am I willing to risk failure? How would I define success? Aware of it or not we all answer these questions, albeit often by default. Many simply float along in streams of religious thought, buoyed by family and tradition. Others, for a myriad of reason, find various ways to venture out into less charted waters.
While it's in vogue to declare faith and reason incompatible, in actuality the genuine of each are inseparable, given that anyone who can add can prove the existence of God as well as the overwhelming evidence for the authenticity of the Bible. So why do so many deny or marginalize God's existence? For a variety of reasons, some more valid than others. Most are angry at or with God on some level. Many are disillusioned by loneliness or depressed by loss. Others simply find faith inconvenient and/or obedience too costly.
Even so two billion, or about two thirds of humanity, identify themselves as Christian. Yet of this number only a tiny percentage of a percentage of a percentage take the time to seriously understand authentic faith, the genuine Christ or the gospel describing them. Lack of diligent effort is the chief reason for this yet this raises the question why not try harder? A major reason is fear. Fear of being unable to reach God. Fear of exposing our need and getting nothing tangible in return. Even fear of misunderstanding who God is and how He relates to us individually.
There's a story about a preschooler who amazed her parents. Wanting to keep there child occupied they found a fairly complicated map and tore in into many smaller pieces. They left their young daughter to do her best at reconstructing the large map, figuring they had bought themselves half an hour or more. They were surprised when their child had completed the project in just a few minutes. She beamed as she handed over the scotch taped paper with ever piece placed exactly right. When they asked her how she reassemble the puzzle so quickly she simply turned the paper over to reveal a large smiling face of one of her favorite cartoon characters in an advertisement on the back. We may hope to do the same when seeking to understand God. While somewhat complex, the path to seeking to God is not complicated and considering all there is to loose or gain, beginning the journey and seeing it through is our only logical choice.
Given Christ’s harsher sayings and His judgments of His church, it can be a costly and even eternal mistake to simply assume salvation. For those endeavoring to know God’s will, discerning between faith and presumption is essential. Particularly when genuine faith by definition requires some level of expectation. The answer to the puzzle is this: presuming is not presumptuous to the degree we exchange our all for God’s. Yet be warned. while gifts of God like faith and grace are generally viewed as an encouraging forces for good nevertheless Scripture directly and indirectly repeatedly warns that God is not mocked. Many well meaning believers have at times willfully or even inadvertently moved beyond presumption to profanity (treating the holy as common). A serious and sometimes deadly mistake. For this and a myriad of reasons, it’s best to approach God with brokenness and contrition, repentance and reverent fear. Honesty, what God desires most from mankind, is always the best policy. Frequently confessing that Omnity is the great I AM, and I am nothing great is good start. As is creating and memorizing a strategic daily prayer that respectfully yet purposefully weaves back and forth in ever increasing levels of repentance to intercession. For examples see Rob’s Daily Prayer and Acceptable Worship.
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