Seeking
1Ch 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
To play the guitar- that was my quest, and I became obsessed with perfecting the next piece of music and being able to present it as a pleasurable experience for a responsive and welcoming listener. This meant more than just picking up the guitar once and a while and thumping around on it. There was a certain discipline that was embraced which included rehearsing scales and various exercises that would refine individual skills and enable their use within musical expressions. I could not let a day go by without fulfilling my passion for progressing towards this goal and this purpose.
Something else was taking place in this occupation of my energies and focus, however- I was taking on an identity with my purpose that brought significance to each day of my faithfulness to it. From my perspective, I became a guitarist- not just during the scheduled practice sessions or performances, but continually. It wasn’t just when I was a holding a guitar that I was fulfilling this role. I was continually stretching my hands and attempting to maintain my right hand fingernails; my guitar became my constant companion; and my schedule was adjusted to provide for the higher priority of practice and study. While others might have seen me differently, I embraced this role for myself and was committed to what I thought it required. As a result, in the process of living this passion, I was being kept from the passage of time that threatens to destroy hope and steal potential. There was, in this continual pursuit, a separation from the meaninglessness and insignificance of life. My energies and emotions were continually directed towards something that consumed my heart and during that time in my life of concentrated focus, I found great comfort and great hope in being faithful to my dream.
Like this identifying period in my life, there is a time in each of our lives in which we are presented with an opportunity to rise to new levels or complete a certain purpose. That work project, that video game, that athletic activity or skill, that relationship with a special someone- in times when we are consumed with progression towards these things, they become a continual identifying occupation. In fact, until they really alter or impact our identity, until our schedule and priorities reflect their importance, they will be kept from real possession.
“Seek His face continually”. This, from my understanding then, means taking on an unending obsession that really transforms identity into someone who is living and breathing a dream of progression towards this prize of knowing Him. Rather than a casual and infrequent Bible reading or whispered prayer, there will be a “hiding of His words in the heart”, and a continual, ongoing conversation with Him. In really seeking Him, there will be a loss of concern about the ‘other’ occupations of life that once dominated emotions and responses. As He rises in passion priority, the passing of time will no longer be a contribution to insignificance and hopelessness, but each invested moment in truly seeking Him will produce a fulfillment in living that no other obsession could ever bring. And, when He is really sought, each moment that doesn’t include Him in it, will seem to be a lost opportunity of progression towards this prize. Knowing Him will leave other identifying elements of life on the side, as seeking Him becomes an all consuming transformation of identity. The old man gives way completely to this new man, one that isn’t conformed to this world, but is totally transformed and renewed in mind and spirit.
