This week I want to take a deeper look at seeking God eagerly. When I introduced this topic last week, I made the comparison to Christmas Eve. The word eager brings me memories of being sleepless on Christmas Eve because my heart was overflowing with excitement and anticipation as I looked forward to opening my gifts. The joy that those gifts brought me was immeasurable. This same sense of eagerness and joy should be felt when seeking God.
As I write about having joy in God, my mind immediately goes to John Piper’s idea of “Christian Hedonism”. Hedonism is defined as the pursuit of pleasure. It is a philosophical belief that chasing self pleasure is the ultimate goal of human life. So how can a Christian be a hedonist? Those definitions sound like they contradict a lot of the teachings of Jesus. God desires that we pursue Him and not our own gratification. But what if those were one in the same? What if our gratification is found in seeking God? What if our pleasure comes from knowing God and getting closer to Him? These are the thoughts that are behind Piper’s idea of Christian Hedonism. Piper describes Christian Hedonism by saying “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” He also says that “Christian Hedonism is the conviction that God’s ultimate goal in the world (his glory) and our deepest desire (to be happy) are one and the same.” So it is not just that we seek joy in God, but that God receives the most glory when we do seek ultimate joy in Him.
I believe we all have a deep longing for joy and pleasure. Often times this is shown through our sinful habits. Most sins, especially addictions, are present in our life because we believe that they will bring us joy or pleasure. An alcoholic turns to a drink because they believe that pleasure will follow. A drug addict turns to their drug of choice because they believe it to bring joy and take away the pains of this life. A pornography addict turns to vile images because they believe it will bring them the pleasure they desire. Why do we become addicted to such things? It is not because the addiction lives up to our beliefs and brings us the ultimate joy or pleasure we sought in them. It is because those addictions only offer momentary false joy and pleasure and we turn to them time and time again in need of another dose, ultimately never receiving what we truly desire. So what if this natural longing for joy worked for us instead of against us? What if we used our desires as fuel to seek God and His joy? What if we believed Jesus when He said that He gives us His joy, and that our joy can be full (John 15:11)?
That verse in John 15:11 changed the course of this post. I initially entitled this post “Joy in God” and asked God to give me inspiration to share on how we can find joy in Him. John 15:11 changed my perspective. It is not that we get joy from God, but we the the joy “OF” God. Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” It is not just that Jesus gives us a joy, He gives us His joy. We can have the joy of God! Our joy can be full!
So..Why should we seek God eagerly? Because He offers us a joy that no earthly person, power, or possession can give us. How do we get this joy? The answer is simple, yet complicated. There isn’t a magical potion I can share the recipe for. There isn’t a task I can give you to accomplish. There is simply a direction I can point you towards. This joy is found in God and in God alone. If we will eagerly seek God, we will find this joy. We must fall on our face daily and seek His presence. We must cry out to Him daily and seek His voice. We must open his word daily and seek His wisdom. We must make the conscious decision daily to seek Him.
I pray this week that we all learn to seek God eagerly, filled with excitement and anticipation of the joy that He will bring us, HIS joy! I pray that our desires will fuel us because we desire God and no longer the things of this world. I pray that all people may experience the joy that only God can give us.
