Why do we seek God? What is the purpose of this personal relationship with God?

I have been thinking about these questions recently. I know many times people have said to me, and I say myself, "I need to seek God more because it's good and my life tends to be even more blessed when I do." Or I hear "It just helps my life be better."

But I ask myself,

What about those who are pressing into God daily, yet are having to flee for their lives. Does their pursuit of God make their life better? Are they pursing God for the sake of self-improvement?

What does "to be blessed" mean?

What about those who live in our own neighborhoods who seek God hourly, yet everything around them is crumbling, their families, their money, and their world. Is their personal relationship with God improving their life? Do they think if they pray a little harder everything will come together?

What does it really mean to have our life improved? How do we measure this improvement or can we measure it at all?

Often times in this subculture that many of us have grown up in or end up in, the subculture of christianity, there is a ton of emphasis put on you and your personal relationship. There is this idea, whether or not we are taught it directly, that tends to sink into our way of thinking. We begin to press into God because it is good for us, God is our home boy, God helps us take tests so pray hard before. God helps us find lost keys, so be in a good relationship so that you can find what is lost. I know, if I am going to be honest, all of what I have just written applies to me at some point in my life, if not now.

The other day I was thinking about this. We act as though Jesus is here for me, and we are the end. Of course Jesus came and died on the cross for my sins so I can be in communication with the Author of life, but it doesn't stop there. To often we get hung up on the "us", and loose site that we aren't the end, but we are a means and an end...

we are "the end of the beginning is the end".(thank you Billy Corgan)

What if we pursed God not to improve our own lives, but for the sake of those around us. The truth of the matter is when we are connected to the divine, the Holy One, YHWY, we are able to poor into others in a deep and meaningful way. What if our hunger for God was a hunger for those around us. What if we wanted so badly for those around us to experience relief, joy, hope, and true life, here and now, not just in the to come, that we pressed even deeper into God. What if we want so badly to have something worthy of giving our neighbor that we forget about our own needs as we press into God. But something really strange happens when we press into God for that reason, we get everything we need and more, but everything we receive pours out into those around us. Then they start to experience the Living God in a real and tangible way, and we experience God in a real and tangible way as well.

It's a shame that often times the real reason for our pursuit of God is a selfish reason. It's for us, and we can't get beyond that. We are pros at making excuses for why that is.

I need to have my stuff together first.

I am not in the right place to serve.

I don't know the Bible well enough.

Well I am empty so I need to fill me first.

Those might be true, but I think an even greater reality is that when we pour into those in need, all of our excuses diminish because we get filled.

It can be scary. Thats cool, let's admit that, and call it what it is, fear, then step forward together in faith.

I am not saying that we pursue God to get the right answers so that we can fix people, because that is also selfish. If we press into God for that reason, we put ourselves on a pedestal, when in reality we are extremely broken and need fixing also.

When we explore the ancient texts of the bible we see that God shows up to people not for them, but for those that come after them. But at the same time shows up fully for them as well. its a little bit paradoxical.

God showed up to...

Abram so that all the nations could be bless.

Abraham, Issac and Jacob not for them and their ministry but for the twelve tribes that came out of them.

Moses, not for just to help him with his identity crisis, but to lead a whole people into freedom.

The slaves in Egypt, not just for their own freedom but for the whole world and the blessing of the nations.

King David, not just for his current kingdom, but for his family line to which a savior would come out of. This savior would fulfill the promises God had made with Abraham. Which was to be a blessing the nations.

The profits, not just for the current generation of Israelites but for the future generations and the whole world.

Jesus showed up to...

The disciples, not just so the secrets of the Kingdom of God would be given to them, but so that they could take the kingdom tangibly to the ends of the earth.

The lepers, not just so that they could experience healing and wholeness, but so they could go to the temple, praise God, and tell everyone else the great works of God.

Legion, the man full of demons. Not just for him to experience wholeness and dignity, but so that he could go tell his home town all that God had done for him.

The woman at the well, not just so she could have a relationship with the God man, but so that her whole village could have an experience with God.

The Holy Spirit showed up to...

The crew of disciples, not just for them, but so that they had the power to go out of Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth. The Holy spirit fell on them not so that they could speak in crazy languages, but so that there would be no poor among them. So that the widows would be fed and cared for. For the orphans to have homes. For the sick to be cared for.

I'm sure you get the point. We see a theme arise from the biblical texts, we are to receive so we can give it away. We are to be blessed so we can be a blessing to the nations. We are to be an open channel, a steady flow, a river of life. We could keep going but I am trying to write shorter blog posts.

If that theme is true, why did God show up to us?

Why did God choose us and say "Follow me"?

Who are we called to pour our lives into?

Who are we supposed to break ourselves open for, as Jesus broke himself open for us?

Maybe some of us are having a hard time connecting with God, because we aren't connecting with the poor. I heard it said, when you forget the poor and the oppressed you forget God. I think that is a scary but true statement. I think often times we say, "I haven't forgotten the poor and oppressed" because we will talk about them and discuss how to help them. But just because we are talking about them doesn't mean we remember them. Just because we speak about God doesn't mean we remember him or know him.

Lets be sheep not goats.

Maybe if we are to be honest, our pursuit of God has been a selfish one. We were meant to be like a hose, with crisp, refreshing water flowing out of us for those who are thirsty. But instead we are a hose that is tied in knots and full of crud so water can't flow out of us. What water is in us has become stagnate and unappealing even to us. Maybe we even forget what the fresh water tastes like, so we have no idea how to give it to others.

God's grace is amazing. Far larger then I can fathom and greater then I could ever hope to understand. And I thank God that it is that big.

Let's stop making excuses like, I don't have time, I am too busy, I am not called to do ..., I am waiting for God to tell me what to do, and so on.

We know what God has called us to do. Let's seek out the poor and the oppressed, not so we can fix them, but so we can love them. And when we start loving them, we will once again start loving God. When we remember them again, we will once again be filled with the awe and wonder of the Creator of the universe.

We have been forgiven of much, no longer under condemnation but freedom, so let's go out and love much.

Let's remember how God has loved us, and go love others likewise.

Let's hold each other accountable to be the people we are called to be. People who are made in the image of the loving, full of grace, savior Jesus Christ.

As usual I am glad all you guys are in my life. You are a huge encouragement to me, and are continually teaching me who the person of Jesus is!

Grace and peace,
Chris

I'd love to hear if you agree or disagree.