How to seek well for a lifetime

Following Jesus is difficult. Life can be hard, and spiritual growth rarely comes easy. A lot of things come up against us and the tension is real when it comes to staying on the path of life that God has marked out for us. So, how do we keep moving forward in our pursuit of God? Here are three key insights that we believe are essential, and will help you seek Jesus well for a lifetime.

#1 - Fight the battle for your mind

There is a war raging right now; and it may not be the one that you’re thinking of. While it’s true that the world seems to be continuously caught up in conflict; the real battle is the one being fought for your heart; and that battle begins in your mind. The Bible has a lot to say about the heart; and for good reason. It’s because the “heart” is where all things culminate before being manifested outward into our lives. How we interpret the experiences in our lives ultimately determines the narratives that we form; whether true or false. This all happens within billions of thought processes that our minds accomplish every day. Oftentimes, we are unable to see what’s really going on. Only the voice of God can pierce through your narrative. When we can settle and gain perspective God helps us determine what is true, and what is not. We are active participants, with God, in the battle.

Practical tip: pause, settle, and ask God “what is actually true about ____?” “What do you want me to know about _____?” “God, in light of that, what do you want me to do about it?”

#2 - Don’t go it alone

“We are not alone; we just think that we are”. This is a phrase that we say often when we are circled around the campfire with men and women. Walking out the seasons of life with others, whether good or bad, culminates in a greater sense of community. This follows what we just laid out above because the enemy loves to place deceptive ideas in our path and one of those is that we are the only ones who (insert your sin or struggle here). 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says continue to encourage each other and build each other up. The reality is that we were designed by God to be together, in community. When we are, we can encourage one another, share each other's burdens, challenge each other, and walk this path together.

Practical tip: consider reaching out to the 2-3 men or women in your life that know you the best and are also following Jesus. Create a pattern of authentic connection with them.

#3 - Develop perseverance

Listen, following Jesus in a busy and increasingly chaotic world is not easy. When the storm of life comes and we find ourselves in a difficult place we have the choice to be swept away with the current, or to stand firm and endure. Things may be tough now, but the truth is that through Christ you can endure hard times and circumstances! Perseverance is “The effort required to do something, and keep going to the end even though it may be hard”.The reality is that this life will be hard (Jesus says to expect it) and it’s going to take some grit. While this is ultimately a personal endeavor with you and God; you can’t do it well without people helping you (#2). And you can’t do that unless you have clarity of mind of what is actually going on and true! (#1). When we develop perseverance, we develop the ability to endure hard times as they come, and are able to gain a different perspective on the outlook of our lives lived with God as we see His faithfulness.

Practical tip: take time to look back and reflect on some of the harder seasons of your life. Ask God where He was in those seasons and remember His faithfulness and where He showed up. Doing this regularly develops the practice of remembering!

One last thing… Above all else, abide.

Dallas Willard said, “...We can, through faith and grace, become like Christ by practicing the types of activities He engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities He Himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of the Father.” (emphasis added)

What does it mean “to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of the Father”? We would say that it is characterized by a life lived with God, and like Jesus. And, if we live like Jesus, then we will inherently have the proximity that is so eloquently described by Willard. Through God’s abundant grace we are always welcome home with Him. But, what better way to live than to remain at home with God and in relationship with Him! There is no better place to be than at home in the fellowship of the Father. There is no better way to live, than to live like Jesus.

Seek well.

We recently dedicated an entire episode of our podcast Free And Light to this topic and we’d love to invite you to join the conversation.