As one of their own poets has said: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”
Everybody’s looking for something. We live with a sense that there’s more to life than what we’ve experienced. And we long for more. The Germans have a word for this longing: Sehnsucht. Whether or not we’ve used this word, we’ve all had this experience, this ache and drive for a fulfillment that never quite comes. U2′s song, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” captures this feeling well.
This life is basically a quest for joy. Every pursuit is ultimately to find some sort of joy. It might be the pursuit of significance, or of pleasure. It might be the pursuit of money, or power, or respect. But ultimately, we are looking for joy. In the Bible, the Book of Ecclesiastes describes life under the sun as vanity/vapor, ultimately pointless. Whatever joys we may find here, they are not enough, they do not last. They end up owning us. Our modern world has developed unprecedented amounts of information, power, money, ways of getting pleasure…and yet we still want more. We still feel empty. Even when we find something we love, there’s a nagging sense of emptiness…a longing, a sehnsucht. None of these things can satisfy, because none of these things are supreme. None of these things are ultimate. Our longings are too great, and these things are too small. Only Jesus is sufficiently big enough to satisfy our desires, because Jesus is supreme over and greater than our desires. It is only in him that we find what we are looking for, whatever we are looking for.
People all around us are looking, and they’re coming up empty in their search. But I am convinced that every good desire we have is designed to lead us back in worship to Jesus. And every wrong desire, is ultimately a misdirected attempt to get what Jesus has already provided for us. Learn to hear people’s stories. What are they looking for? How does Jesus satisfy that?
Posted by: Gene Schlesinger
Well put Gene. This is one area where I am almost fully in agreement with you. I would push you to define our good desires as “designed to lead us back in…” service to Jesus or discipleship of Jesus or relationship with Jesus. I feel stating only ‘worship’ implies all we have to do is go to a church building for 60 minutes once a week usually on Sunday morning at 11:00 am. Although I suppose a definition of true worship as an act of service and discipleship of Christ would also be sufficient.
Your post also begs the question “how do we tell the difference between our good desires and our wrong desires?” Because sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish between the two.
~Liberal Minded Reader
LMR,
Yes, you’re absolutely right that we don’t want people to just be led by Jesus to church attendance. Worship is not less than gathering with the church for Word and sacrament, but it certainly is more. At 1.21 we use a broad definition of “worship,” which essentially includes a Christ-centered (and holistic) approach to life, in which we find our hope, joy, and satisfaction in him. This is played out concretely through service and discipleship. I hope that helps understand where we’re coming from.
The principle comes from 1 Corinthians 10.31, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” If I can have a hamburger or a drink to his glory, then all of life should be worship (see also WSC Question 1).
And, yes, you’re absolutely right about distinguishing between our desires. I’m of the opinion that our sinful hearts lead our best acts and desires to always be somewhat tinged by sin…so that makes it even harder!
But a former professor of mine, Robert Jones, provides a helpful matrix for sorting through this (as well as we’re able to).
1) Is the thing itself sin? The Bible clearly forbids some things and enjoins other things. These are usually easy to discern.
2) Do I sin in order to get it? If you’re willing to lie, cheat, steal, etc. for something, then it’s become a bad desire (even if it’s a desire for a good thing).
3) If it’s threatened or taken away, do I sin? If you get furious or terrified, or react in any other sinful way, then it’s become an idolatrous, ruling desire.
(This matrix was included in the preaching, by the way).
Let me know if that helps.
[...] whole world has been waiting, and to whom the entire course of history has been directed (1.26-27). Whatever you’re looking for, you will find that Jesus is the fulfillment. And in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (2.2-3). There is nothing deeper, [...]
Jesus Struggles « 1.21 blog said this on May 3, 2009 at 12:36 pm |