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Do you know where your life is going?
Every day, we all make choices, and as much as we like to think we choose what we want, we often are forced to choose what we think we must, or what will cost us the least. How much control do we really have over our lives? Some might answer none at all, and others may say they're in perfect control; but both are wrong. We all have some choices we can make, that will affect our lives. And, on the other hand, the most perfectly in-control person in the world cannot hold back the tide, or keep him or herself from dying.
So what does this have to do with looking for God? Choices, and death, and unstoppable things -that's not what you came here for, is it? It may not be what you had in mind, but these are things you must consider if you would find Him.
The Bible teaches that God created all things, and all of His creation is still under His control (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 29). "Well," I can hear some saying, "He certainly isn't doing a very good job of it." Isn't He? Who are we to say, when we can barely control what we look like, or how much money or success life brings us - who are we to decide how well God is running things? It is too deep for us. The world is too complex, and human nature even more so; we can barely guess how we will react to someone cutting us off on the freeway, much less figure out how entire cultures and societies will interact over the course of history. Running the world is something only God can do. In fact, just managing our own individual lives is something only God can do as well.
Do you think that goes too far? Look what the Gospel writer Matthew quotes Jesus as saying:
Matt 6:25-34 (NKJV) "
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, [will] [He] not much more [clothe] you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day [is] its own trouble."
You see, we may not be able to control much of our lives, but God can. I spoke of choices in the beginning of this, and God has in fact given us the ability to make them. You cannot choose how long your life will be, nor in what manner you will live it. But you can choose whether you will allow God to be the master of it, or whether instead you will try to make believe you are your own master, and that you aren't just along for the ride.
The Bible says that "all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23, Psalm 14:2,3). That leaves no one out. God does not require that you do more good than bad, He requires that you be perfect (Leviticus 19:2). That is His standard. But we all know we can't be perfect - of course not - "all have sinned and fallen short . . ." And that is why God had to step in and do something to help us - because we cannot help ourselves. God took on human form, incarnated Himself as Jesus Christ. Then He died on a cross and paid the debt of sin, met His own requirement for us, and satisfied His law. In dying, Jesus - God - paid for sin entirely, and offers to us His own perfection, that we can come to Him on His own perfect record, and not our own (John 3:16).
What's the catch? First of all, we have to admit we need it. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Second, we have to trust Him - we have to give ourselves to God, and allow Him to save us. We have to humbly and totally submit ourselves to God, and He will hear our cries and lift us up. That is the good news of Jesus Christ. He saw we weren't going to make it, He stepped in to meet the requirements Himself, and He offers us eternity - if we will just humbly take it from Him and entrust our lives to Him (Romans 10:13).
So that is your choice. Will you submit to God, or cruise out of control until you crash-land in hell? We might not be able to control very much of our lives, but what we can control makes all the difference.
This, of course, is just a summary , a brief distillation of some of the things of God. I'd be happy to discuss it more with you, and perhaps answer more specific questions; just drop me a line HERE.
Do you know where your life is going?
God does, and He wants to help you wind up somewhere you want to be.