Seek God first

THIS should be the proper attitude to have. It does not

mean that with it all will be fine and perfect in our life. There’s

always the possibility that seeking him does not end with finding him.

Or even when we find him, we can still misunderstand or misread his

mind and fail to follow what he tells and shows us.

            We should expect some drama at least in this regard, not

to mention that we can still commit grave mistakes even in our effort

to seek God first. There have been, for example, people who in their

frenzied search for God end up self-righteous, becoming hateful

instead both to God and to men. Our history is full of cases like

this, with special mention of the chosen people.

            It can also happen that even while ignoring God and even

campaigning against him, as was the case of Saul before he became St.

Paul, God can enter into one’s life in some dramatic fashion. It’s a

case of not seeking God, and yet finding God. We can be surprised by

God.

            This, of course, gives us a lot of hope, since even in the

worst of scenarios that our abused freedom can produce, the likes of

the story of the conversion of St. Paul show that God never abandons

us. He actually intervenes in our life always, sometimes in an

extraordinary way. He can change things in some drastic ways if need

be.

            Still the proper attitude to have is to seek God first and

let all our other concerns follow after that. This would put us and

our concerns on the right track in life, in spite of whatever. After

all, God through Christ told us clearly: “Seek ye therefore first the

kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added

unto you.” (Mt 6,33)

            We should not expect God to intervene in our life in some

extraordinary way, since the ordinary ways of seeking and finding him

in our daily duties and concerns are all available. Expecting him to

intervene extraordinarily is tantamount to tempting him.

            Seeking God first would somehow help us to cooperate in

the all-wise, all-merciful providence of God. We would be in a better

position to help in building up a culture of love and compassion,

justice and true freedom in the world. We would know what to

understand and how to react to every situation and predicament we may

have.

            Seeking God first does not exempt us from our duties and

responsibilities. Quite the contrary. It would sharpen our awareness

of them, always somehow accompanied by the sense of confidence that

we, with God with us, can handle them, whether we succeed or fail.

            Nowadays, we see many people simply dancing to the tune

only of their bodily, emotional or psychological conditions, or to

that of some social trends and political consensus. At best, they

dance to the tune of some brilliant ideologies.

            They may get some sporadic perks and highly transient

privileges. But these would never last. These are all perishable. In

fact, if not corrected or purified, these can lead to greater dangers.

            Especially in the area of politics, if God is not sought

as a first priority, we cannot help but tear ourselves into

unavoidable conflict, division and fragmentation. It’s in areas like

politics where the need to seek God first should be most intensely

felt.

            Seeking God first does not mean that we will have

everything in uniformity. God allows and in fact loves variety and

differences of views, condition, circumstances. These are nothing but

part of our human condition. But God knows how put them in unity for

the good of the parties involved and of everyone else, the common

good.

            Let us remember that God is the very foundation of

reality. Everything is under his providence, including our own

mistakes and sins. He knows what to do with them, what good to derive

from them.

            That’s why we need to look at every event of our life,

especially our difficulties, problems, challenges, errors, blunders,

crises from his point of view that can be accessed by us if we do our

part, that is, to seek him first.

            Seeking God first obviously triggers off a series of

things. We soon will realize that we have to know him through the

study of his revelation, the doctrine of our faith. Then we have to

avail of the sacraments, develop the virtues and wage a lifelong

ascetical struggle to keep ourselves safe from sin and always united

with him.