Seeking Him for Him

Truth is, many of us approach the Word of God legalistically.

The thought going through your head is, “I know I don’t.”

Hang with me. You probably do more than you think. I know I did.

There are two reasons people obey the commands of God. 1) Because they love Him. 2) Because they feel as though they will get something from Him. If we are completely honest with ourselves, we have to admit that yes, sometimes we obey just because we feel like we will get something from Him.

Mr. Nuernburg always makes an awesome point. If you go to college and diligently seek and education, what do you think you’ll get? An education. If you diligently pursue marriage, what will you get? Marriage! That’s logical. But, sometimes people get in their minds that diligently seeking God will get them. . .a successful business? Comfort? Easy life? Or maybe just peace and quiet? But is that logical? If you diligently seek God, what will you find? God!

Hebrews 11 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

That being said, I have to throw out any wrong motive in myself to seek the Lord. If I seek Him with all my heart, I will find Him. He is the great reward. For me, I know that I’ve had motives like, “If I seek the Lord, my relationships with people will always be healthy. If I seek the Lord, my life will be manageable. If I seek the Lord, I can handle problems.”

These statements may be half-way true, but if they are my motives for serving the Lord, I am just like a hypocrite. I am obeying God for a blessing. Mr. Nuernburg often draws like a little flow chart thingy that always goes from love, to obedience, to blessing, to light.

1    1)      Love the Lord.

2    2)      Love causes obedience.

3    3)      Obedience brings blessing (which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit).

4    4)      Blessing causes us to be a light to others around us.

If we skip the love, we won’t have whole-hearted obedience. And if there is no whole-hearted obedience, God cannot really abide in our lives (which is the blessing, by the way. Not riches, or ease). And if He is not abiding in our lives, then we can’t be a blessing to others that need the Gospel.

So, this provokes me to examine my life. If the outflow of my life is not light to other people, then where am I going astray? Most likely on the first step. The greatest commandment we have is to 

 “Love the Lord, your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37)”.