A Hunger for Eternity

I am yet to get over the wonder of the human mind. It is amazing. Science even claims that human beings begin to perceive things right from when they are infants. I think this is so fascinating. It gets me wondering why God would give us this kind of intelligence. Totally unmatched to any other creature. 

I doubt it would just be for getting good grades at school, get a degree and even a PhD, work in a good firm and die. That sounds so vain, it’s frustrating. Or could such awesome minds lead one into discovering the cure for AIDS and save humanity from the grave disaster. Hhmmm! Not so bad that one. But then what? Even after the AIDS is cured, death will still find its way to those people who were cured. They may end up succumbing to something else. Probably worse. I know how bad this sounds, but then we all know it is the truth. I get to thinking there has to be something more. Something that caters for our souls, and not just our bodies alone.

In 1669, Blaise Pascal (a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher) wrote the following in his book Pensées: 

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” 

I thought this was profound. It explains why we keep having this thirst, we hunger for something deep. It gets even hard to explain. However, due to lack of knowledge, some of us find ourselves feeding this hunger with inappropriate things. These may include money, fame, a husband, a wife, a hobby, pursuing a career or a business and even a child. This we may do even without our knowledge which makes it all the more sad. However, these things will prove to be as vain as they come. You yearn for them so much, and on acquiring them, they don’t give the satisfaction that was anticipated. This is what comes with idolising the things of this world. Immense disappointment. I know most of us have been there. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11(b) talks of God having placed eternity in our hearts. Therefore with this, I am convinced that the things that can fully satisfy us are found in God. He is eternal. That is why Matthew 6:33 exhorts us to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to us as well. How bare could this get? I believe seeking God and His righteousness places Him where He wants to be in our lives. At the throne of our hearts. This will then enable us to see things as He does; to be in His likeness. With this kind of transformed mindset, the Holy Spirit of God will then guide us. The way we speak, our thoughts, how we perform our duties, the way we interact with others; it will not just be about us. It will be for Him. 

Having the Holy Spirit as our driving force guarantees that eternity will be our only focus. Whatever we do will be aimed at having eternal impact. Colossians 3:2 puts it clearly that we set our minds on things above and not on earthly things (read the whole chapter to better understand the context later). This is what draws the line between those living in vanity and those living for eternity. By no means does this verse advise us to ignore the things of this very world we live in. It appeals to the motive. What mostly occupies your mind? What is your driving force? Have you thought about your fate after your life in this world? 

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)