Seeking God

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 KJV

I’ve had a good summer so far. Road trips, football games, concerts, festivals, holidays, barbecues, long walks, good talks, bike rides, live theatre and the opera – all of these combined have made for a full and exciting summer. But in the midst of my busyness I lost sight of the most important thing. I’ve filled my life up with good things, and overlooked the greatest thing.

Rather than seeking God these past few months, I’ve been seeking fun and excitement and the company of other people, to the exclusion of my time with God. To be clear, I don’t think God wants us to sit at home all the time reading our bibles. However, there came a moment recently when I realized I was filling up my schedule just for the sake of being busy.

With the loss of a friendship and a sudden void in my life, I’m tempted to run out and try to find a new friend as quickly as possible. I feel God reminding me that instead of trying to fill up the empty spots in my daytimer with more activity, I need to seek him.

First.

Before I do anything else.

Before I look for another friend or join a new group, I need to seek him.

Before I line up my Fall activities and commitments, I need to seek him.

And I need to seek him just for who he is. Not for advice. Not for a solution to my problems. But because he told me to come to him first. Because he wants a relationship with me. Because while I’ve been upset about a failed friendship, I’ve completely neglected my relationship with the one I claim to love above all else. Because none of my other relationships function as well when I neglect this most important one.

So I will seek God. I will read my bible. I will pray. I will sit quietly and try to just be with him.

And we’ll see what happens.