Earnestly

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you” Psalm 63:1a NIV

I was drawn to the word “earnestly” when I read this verse. It is defined as “serious in intention, purpose or effort”. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary has “with real desire” as one definition option. I have to admit that there are days when “earnestly” is not part of my seeking. As someone who grew up in church, I often found my self seeking but not “with real desire”.

We get comfortable in our relationships, including our relationship with God. For many people, simply knowing what happens after they die is enough to satisfy them. This mindset could look something like trying to live a good life but really only acknowledging or seeking God when something big comes along. God’s typically not part of your daily thoughts or routine.

I’ve been there, and honestly, things were fine. Throughout my life I’ve met people who were a little more diligent about seeking God (earnestly seeking), and I found myself curious as to what that would look like for me. I found 2 major advantages as I’ve tried to earnestly seek God.

First, I’m a worrier by nature. I can take a situation and see more negatives that’s positives, mostly to protect myself from disappointment. Since beginning to seek God more earnestly, I still have times where I resort to worrying. However, I don’t tend to stay there as long as I used to stay. I’m able to move through that more quickly and remember that God wants good things for me.

Second, I’ve been able to step back and see things from a different perspective. In the past when someone didn’t react or do things the way I would, I’d become frustrated. Now I’m able to stop and think about what something looks like from the other person’s perspective and not be quick to judge their actions.

Earnestly seeking God takes more time and effort on our parts, and time is something many people don’t think they have enough to spare. One thing I’ve realized is that time is short, and we never know what is going to happen tomorrow. You will be able to survive and have good things with just a casual relationship with God. But what about trying to thrive each day by earnestly seeking Him and what He has for you?