The Self Discipline of Seeking

I’ve had something hit home with me very recently, and only now have found words to put it into. It’s not some huge discovery, and really it’s something that most Christians would hear and say, “Well, duh!”

This was triggered, by the recent death of a friend.  He died leaving four children behind, and many good years still yet to live.  But one thing was clearly evident at his funeral: This man had led a life that to many seemed strange, but his good works of service had blessed so many people, that the large baptist church we were in could barely hold them.

This man had made such a great impact for the cause of Christ on his own family, church family, employees, business competition, neighbors, and yes, even the trash man.  All of these showed up at his funeral to praise his good works.

What made him different was one very simple practice: He had the self-discipline of seeking.

Seeking is built into our very DNA as human beings.  We’re all seeking something.  And there’s many things that seek to have us seek after them.  Seeking is inevitable.

To seek means, “ to go after, and the primary sense is to advance, to press, to drive forward.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

Concerning the rich man, James 1:11b says, “So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” All of us will pass away in the midst of pursuing something.  The rich man fades away in the middle of his pursuing.  Never finding.  Never satiating his desire.

Jesus promises that if we seek we will find, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Our first failure as Christians is always our failure to seek.  A lack of seeking, is a lack of faith.  Christianity is not a passive religion.

With Christ, we cannot be spectators, but proactive seekers.  In the same way that we seek to grow our business or career we must seek to grow in our knowledge, understanding, and disciplines of our faith.

No one else can take that up for us.  We must be seekers.  Constantly searching out Christ.  It must be on our minds throughout the day to not forget.  To pursue at every spare moment.  To pray.  To think on Christ.  To reflect on His Word and will.

In addition to being natural seekers, we can also tell many times what someone is seeking after by the way they live their lives.

So naturally, being a true seeker of Christ will look funny to those around you. Your pursuit will look much different than the pursuits that those around you are taking.  When you begin putting the same passion into your pursuit of Christ as the rich put into their pursuit of riches, the world will laugh.

This naturally causes us to want to turn away from our pursuit.  So… we must expect the normal response of those around us to be negative.

But the self-discipline of seeking is a high-calling.  A difficult calling.  And it is the only way that we will ever draw near to Him.

I’m tired of being on the outer courts just getting spiritual scraps, simply because those around me are satisfied with this.

I want to live a life that glorifies God, and a life not lived pursuing Him will not bring Him much glory.