Is God After Me?

Is God after you?  Does God pursue you?  Some may say yes and some say no.  To some people God would seem like a distant person-less nothing who stays at a distance and continues to do nothing.  Some might experience a feeling of heartache at the very mention of God because they feel as if they have been rejected already by some distant emotionless parent who never really loved them anyway.  We live life on our own and try not to think much about life- it's purpose or meaning- this might be reasonable from a certain point of view...might as well turn up the music...drown the potential for tears in whatever takes our mind off of things.

Another view might be that God is "out to get me."  Much less than being merely distant and unconcerned God is actually out there punishing us for our attempts at enjoying life.  We see things turn out in ways we don't like...maybe we develop a sickness~ a loved one dies~ we lose our job you name it and suddenly we find ourselves faced with the penultimate question, "why?"  For us it would perhaps seem like God first says, "Don't do anything enjoyable" and then because we enjoyed something God says, "Okay...I warned you...now you'll PAY for your actions!"

The final view of God that I'll mention is perhaps more common among the younger generations...maybe not...at very least this is a very common view that faces most of us at one point or another: "God is irrelevant."  It seems like this view could be a result of a total lack of exposure to spiritual considerations (i.e. our growing trend of secularism which seeks to remove the consideration of God from any and all public forums...school, government, etc)  It also could be largely due to the fact that the so called, "people of God" don't really live out their call in any practical manner.  The people of God could possibly have forgotten that sharing their perspectives with others is an essential aspect to their own service to God...this makes sense in our culture that has been very adept at draining God out of every conversation...it's almost impolite to say words like, "Jesus Christ" unless of course you've just closed your finger in a car-door...it is then commonly accepted.  (Side-note: I also believe the current God-followers have lost their Spiritual vitality largely due to the fact that they have forgotten their own purpose and have taken to spending more time in pursuing what the world has to offer than the abundant life God has already given.)

If any of the above describes you I obviously don't need to tell you that you're not alone.  You know this to be true of yourself and perhaps you don't really care.  You might be resigned to leaving your life pretty much how it is right now.  Sure, you've got your ups and downs like everyone else and to change horses in mid-stream (or change make and model mid-highway) might just feel resigned to your present reality.  In a way this is admirable.  You've chosen to stick it out in spite of it all.  Like captains resigned to "go down with the ship."  If you're still reading this, however, I would suggest that you're not satisfied with the way your life looks now.  You're looking for something.  In spite of all the things I've said here you realize the emptiness of merely pursuing "things and fun."  Maybe you just want some true solitude, "peace and quiet."  Of course I don't know what you want in the short term.  But may I suggest that you might be seeking God and not even know it?  And perhaps you know that you're not even all together sure who God is?  Let me offer a few suggestions that might help you:

1)  Examine your life and ask yourself if you want it to stay how it currently is...meaning...what would you change?  What would you like to keep the same?

2)  Why?  Why do you want to change things?  To simply "be a better person?"  Why would you want to do that?  So people like you more?  So people won't forget you when you die?  If you "wouldn't change a thing" what will you say when things change your life that are completely beyond your control?  (i.e. sickness, loss of loved ones) what then?  Will you maintain your, "wouldn't change a thing" attitude?

3)  If you have not encountered God, do you really even want to?  Would such an encounter mean, perhaps, that a "life like that" would be too unfamiliar, boring, stifled, predictable?

4)  If you have never really pursued God how can you know it's, "not for you?"  We don't like to judge in a negative sense, naturally, but would it not be reasonable to "judge" through experience to a certain degree rather than thinking we know about God from a distance?

God is after you.  God is out to "get you."  But not in any negative way.  I say this because I have experienced the love of God that is greater than any human love.  It doesn't depend on weather or whether or not people like you.  God is pursuing you right now...not as a cosmic-cop to right all your wrongs and turn you into an obedient drone.  God is after you like a long-lost Father or even a long-lost child.  He is meek and humble of heart.  Gentle, forgiving, understanding and very real and has only your good in mind.  Following God isn't easy, I'll give you that.  However it is the only real life-changing decision you can make that will impact your eternity beginning today.  He is waiting in the quiet and He is with you in the crowd.  Look for Him~ He is already looking for you.