“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. Romans 2:7-8
Stephen Hawking is one of the biggest celebrity scientists of our day, and some say among the most brilliant ever. I have been interested in a number of his hypotheses within his study of the universe during his life time of seeking out its truth. His musing about the nature of time is especially fascinating and has stimulated my own thinking in terms of time-bound life, which we know, and life in a time-less state, which we don’t, yet. A second is the possibility of another whole sphere of existence unseen right in our midst removed only by a slight “shifting of the molecular structure of existence (A cloud of witnesses possibly?…..Hebrews 12:1).
Until recently Hawking was primarily agnostic (unknowing) in his research as it pertained to “finding evidence for God or the existence of an Intelligent Designer as he observed the wonders and order of the universe and tried to explain it. Do we live in a self-beginning universe with nothing outside of it to imprint and design its magnificent order, or is there unmistakable proof God, the Intelligent Designer, exists? Just as Hawking suddenly announced recently that “black holes now do not exist, reversing his earlier work on black holes in the galaxies, he has also announced recently that no God exists, presumably because he hasn’t found him, and believes his science renders Him non-existent. Of course, he gives no “proof or universally accepted rationale for either prognostication of no black holes and no God. His celebrity will have to carry the day with his listening and admiring public. While God’s existence cannot be proved to everyone’s satisfaction, neither can it be disproved. And what will you do with your rejection, lackadaisical ignorance, or outright mocking of God if He is? In any case, Hawking is a seeker, a thoroughly self-seeking one so far.
Everyone seeks. It is the nature of being human. But in terms of ultimate seeking and ultimate ramifications of the search there are basically only two types: self-seeking or seeking out the one true God; nothing in-between. The Bible explains that seeking after other gods, other than the God who is; i.e. being devoted to another “god among the myriad of world religions such as, Buddha, Allah, the assorted paths of Hinduism, etc., or seeking what substitutes as your “god, science, atheism, hedonism, and the like, boils down to one and only one description: self-seeking. Self predominates in worshiping a false god or something equal as atheism, agnosticism, science, or what have you, because you reject with your own mind and heart the God who is, and in this rejection choose a god who pleases you; in essence, yourself.
The opposite of self-seeking is searching out the God who is responsible for your being and your world; the God who is, who calls Himself, I Am. You are either your own god, determining your own course and values, and consequently responsible for your own end; OR you seek out and find the God who is, and adhere to Him; two and only two type of seekers, one which will ultimately determine your final outcome.
It is stupefying that so many from youth into adulthood never come to grips with this truth: which right now no matter where or what you are doing you are already immersed in a personal search determining what you will be and your eventual end. Few think what you are doing right now is so seminal, so all-important; what you are doing in this present is determining your future. It is too often, “I’m treading water waiting for the really important things to come sometime later. Wrong! Today is most important in laying the path of where you are going and what you will be! Do not forfeit today thinking it is pretty non-consequential. It never is, no matter the circumstances. The Word of God says “Today is the day of salvation; which also means today is mighty important, even if you don’t think it is.
The promise of success in your search if it is seeking the right one of the two types is repeated so many times over and over in Scripture, “If you seek me, God promises, “you will find me. Check a complete concordance and see the repetition of this promise. “Seek is not a trivial word like playing a child’s game of hide and seek with little consequence in the prize. Seeking with faith is defined as an earnest search as though your life depends on finding the God for whom you seek, which it does. If you are only a self-seeker, you will find what you are looking for, you just won’t like or be satisfied with what you find, and at some future time you will not be able to reverse course to get a better result. God says if that is what you want enough to give your life repeatedly to it, I will let you have yourself; basically, as Paul describes a life apart from Christ, genuine rubbish.
The common seeking which defines life, if it hasn’t yet involved a serious search for God and experiencing Him as a serious life-changer, is seeking to acquire your appetites demands, everything basic and required, and, of course, beyond; anything which makes you feel good, provides a sense of happiness, even if sporadically. Then at some time you may expand the search into seeking your own identity and with it what meaning there is to your life and where you hope your life is headed; however, wishes do not always materialize. Real life can be cruel to wishes and what is viewed as “popular does not satisfy you in the end.
How does seeking God change a meandering search for meaning and happiness in life? Just this, He makes the meandering crooked paths straight. God knows the meaning of your life already and He knows its purpose and conveys it to you (see Psalm 23 and 139). Before finding Him you were enslaved to your own nature and uncontrollable appetites. He has the power to remove guilt, eliminate shame, conquer fear, and open your eyes to who you really are and can be. He gives you the markers to get through the mine-field of this world. It is really stupid to not choose the truly best and instead choose the quick-sand of self-seeking and being your own god. Find the God who is really God, and delight in the strength and gifts which you can never replicate yourself.
Everyone is a seeker, and every thought and action in life is part of a search. Those who seek the true God find Him and all that comes with Him; satisfaction, true knowledge of who you are, contentment, worthy purpose, direction, and a home, where you know “I am home! and no one can take it away.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (what you will eat, drink, wear, and all things pertaining to needful life) will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
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