Find God First, Everything Else Will Follow

Hi everyone!!

Today's going to be an unusual post. It's going to be a reflective post. An opportunity-for-you-to-add-your-thoughts post.

It all started when the thought randomly popped into my head (as thoughts are apt to do), "The more we get to know God, the more we find that we do not know ourselves."

I was a wee bit surprised that that thought popped into my head. Because after contemplating it for a while, I decided that I heartily disagree with it, for several reasons, but you can decide for yourself whether you disagree or agree.

I haven't really thought about it much before. So I googled it (as you do). And here are the top five search results I came up with.

You'll notice that they are slightly different from the original statement that I came up with. Which is okay. Because I know that my brain is weird, and possibly no one else has thought much about that sort of thing before.

But those search results got me REALLY interested.

Take out the first one. That seems to be just a pinterest board and looks like something slightly different.

Look at the titles of the middle three search results.

"Knowing Thyself is Key to Knowing God"
"Know Yourself That You May Know God"
"Notes on the more than human saying: 'Unless you know..."

Oh my goodness!

This is terrible!

I couldn't believe (and still can't) that people say this sort of stuff. Because knowing myself is key to knowing God how??? How can knowing myself better help me know God better??!!

If you think about it, it makes no sense at all.

Look at the last google search result. The Rick Warren one. I highlighted it to illustrate the contrast between the middle three and it. It's directly opposite to the others.

The other three said (paraphrased slightly), to find God, know yourself. The last one said, to find yourself, focus on God.

See? Direct contrast. Opposites.

To me, the whole thing seems slightly weird. How could people think that the key to knowing God better is to know yourself? God is the centre.. the source... the alpha, the omega, the beginning, then end. You see, to aim to know yourself better for the purpose of knowing God better is very self centered. It makes it seem like you're in control... that you're the goal, not God. That in you lies the key to everything.

Friends, please listen carefully. In you does NOT lie the key to everything.

God is the key to everything. End of story. You do not have the answers. God does. He is perfectly in charge, and is absolutely everything... in itself.

This is sort of complicated, and forgive me if I'm not explaining it very well!! It makes sense to me and my prayer is that it will make sense to you, too.

Society nowdays is full of this whole "man is everything" philosophy. A quick search (click here, for example) reveals a colossal quantity of self-centred 'inspiration'.

Such as this:



The problem with this sort of mindset is that it implies that you are everything, that everything starts and ends with you.

It doesn't!!! Nothing could be further from the truth!!

God is everything. He has always been, and he always will be, everything. There is nothing wrong with 'finding yourself' (whatever that actually means?!) as long as your focus is on God. You see, if your priorities are right, your life will make sense. If God is your all, then everything slots into place. That Charles De Lint quote has God and us swapped round. It should be "You've got to find God first. Everything else'll follow."

That's partly why there's so many messed up people in the world. Society has switched us with God, and it's not working. 

Focus on God... and I think you'll find that you do find yourself. I think that the more you know God, the more you will find that you'll know yourself.

What do you think?