To whom shall we go?

One of the most glorious things I have experienced is seeing someone start following God.

One of the toughest things I have experienced is seeing someone abandon God. For me, this raises questions about the legitimacy of my faith and the realness of a faithful God. It sucks, and it's hard to watch.

Because of this, I've found that my most intimate and real prayers to God are praying for people I know to stay true to God and not fall away. It happened last month at a youth group retreat I helped with at the church I grew up in. I was praying that these kids would seek after God with all they have after they graduate. I prayed that there would be crazy folks knocking on the doors of their dorm rooms in college, like Garrett Naufel and Matt Boone did for me my freshman year. I prayed that they would not forget about God and not reject Him when they left the security and familiarity of high/middle school and their home church. I prayed that God would make them good soil, give them a strong root, and protect them from thorns (see Mark 4:2-20)

I'm tearing up even as I'm writing this stupid blog post. I'm not completely sure why this issue hits me so hard.

This past Saturday at The Rock, I was praying this same prayer for people in our church who have recently started following God. The question that they and all the rest of us followers face is found in John 6, verse 67:

Jesus asked the Twelve,

"You do not want to leave too, do you?"

.

Jesus had just given his teaching on how his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink. Jesus' disciples didn't understand it (it is pretty confusing) or couldn't accept it, and so they "turned back and no longer followed him." That's when Jesus asks the question to the Twelve.

.

The longer I live and discover how the things we strive for leave us dry, the more I realize that the only source of peace, salvation, redemption, and purpose comes from Jesus. There is nothing else. Nowhere else to turn to. No other answer. This is all there is, and it's all we need.

.

So, I have my answer to Jesus' question. It's the same answer Peter gives in John 6, verse 68. I hope it's the same answer you and the people I've been praying for will give.

.

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words to eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Dry

I was just thinking about how we're all lonely.

All of us. Some more than others. But, to an extent, we all feel that emptiness, that aloneness, that only goes away when we forget about ourselves. But it always comes back.

When you feel lonely, do you ever sit back and think about how everyone else feels the same way?

I guess that helps a little. It also shows that we are not capable of making each other feel "not lonely." If we were capable of that, we'd all probably be a lot happier.

In my life, I sometimes worship the idol of "relationship." I want to be known, be loved, to be chosen. I want to not feel that emptiness of being alone and separated.

That doesn't work though. Relationship, friendship, marriage, etc. don't close the gap. They feel like they will, but they don't.

The real sadness we feel comes from our disconnect from God. Only God can fully know us and not turn away. The sin and selfishness in our lives is the cause of this divide, and most of our lives are devoted to trying to reconnect in various ways.

I realized something about a week ago that I should have figured out a long time ago. This sounds simple, but I realized that God really wants to be with me. I knew this, at least in the sense that God loves everyone...I'm part of "everyone"...therefore, God loves me. In my conceit, I think I figured that God was only really excited about new people who start following Him. I mean, he already has me. I'm old news.

So, this realization was profound. God wants to be with me, to spend time with me, to show His love to me. These are the same things I secretly wish a romantic relationship would provide.

My loneliness, and yours, can only be defeated through our relationship with the real God. Anything else leaves us dry and thirsty for more.....and it doesn't matter how much sand we put into our mouths, it will never satisfy like water.