Christian Living

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"...He has also set eternity in the human heart;" Ecclesiastes 3:11

Deep within the human heart is a hunger to know God and spend eternity with Him. I've heard it referred to as a "God-shaped hole" that can only be filled by God. Another way to think about it is that God has placed a magnet in a person's heart that is designed to attract us to Him. The problem with magnets is that they can also be drawn and attached to most things made of iron, even things that aren't supposed to have magnets stuck to them.

Our hearts can also be drawn and attached to something other than God. Once the heart is attached to something apart from God, it's a painful separation process. God will be active in separating us from these things because of His great love. After all, these things we attach ourselves to are "sinking ships". Who would want to step foot on the Titanic if they knew it's fate? Why do we attach ourselves so tightly to things that we know will pass away?

I know the truth of this all too well. I have often allowed my heart to become attached to the wrong things (the magnet works-my aim isn't always the best). Once I became attached, I found myself fighting against God to keep what I shouldn't have had in the first place. It always ended painfully. Have you ever watched a dog try desperately to catch it's own tail only to realize that chewing on it's own tail is not so glamorous after all? That's what we do. We spend so much time and energy chasing after things that will not satisfy us in the long term.

The other night I was driving to the store to pick up a movie, and a random thought entered my mind: "Everything I was created for can be found in Christ Jesus." Paul states the following in Scripture:

8 "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ" Phillipians 3:8

The primary purpose of my life is to know and love God. He created, rescued, and redeemed me. All of life should flow out of that relationship. Things will still pull at my heart on a regular basis. I will continue to have to navigate through the lies telling me I'll be happier if...(fill in the blank). The task at hand for all of us is to learn how to walk closely with Jesus in a cluttered and deceptive world. Let us aim our hearts at Jesus and allow him to draw us closer. Then, and only then, will we be a fulfilled and satisfied generation. We'll stop chasing our tail and start enjoying true life.

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