Seek and Find
It's amazing what happens when we start to believe that we are loved and wanted by God.
I mean believe.
When we believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that God loves us and wants us, we start having different expectations for how we should be treated.
That includes how we treat ourselves.
When we stand tall in God's love and desire, poor treatment doesn’t sit right with us anymore.
We believe we deserve better.
Years ago, a dear friend hoped to find someone he could settle down with. He was dating here and there but couldn't seem to find that special someone.
So, we sat down and wrote a checklist. I challenged my friend to write down everything that he was looking for in a partner—from the must-haves, such as her love of travel, to the shallow things, like what kind of car she drove or if she liked country music (I mean, for some, that might be a deal breaker).
It was hard for him to make the list because when I asked him some of the questions, he said it didn't matter. He wasn't that picky.
But it does matter, and we should be that picky.
If we don't believe we are worthy of great love and exceptional treatment or if we were treated poorly in the past, we tend to lower our expectations.
When this happens, we begin to think it's normal not to be treated wonderfully; if we are not careful, we can seek out and allow unacceptable treatment by ourselves and others.
God has high standards for us; why shouldn't we?
Shouldn't we seek out and find the very best?
It's not a magic process, of course, but the point is that you are loved and wanted by the God who created everything, and you should be cared for as the precious child of God that you are. Anything less than that is, well, less.
Take some time to think about how you want to be treated by YOU. How should you talk to yourself? How should you treat your body? What should you do with the precious time you have on this earth? What does God have to say about it?
Take some time to think about how you want to be treated by others. Who do you want in your life? What kind of friends do you want around you? What type of partner do you want? What does God have to say about it?
Speaking of, my friend finished his list and, not too soon after, found the love of his life. They are a wonderful match, and interestingly, she has all of the qualities that were most important to him when we made that list.
And if you're curious, yes, she likes country music. What can ya do?
Higher your standards, my friend.
Seek, and you will find.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Matthew 22: 37-40
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."