WAITING TO BE FOUND

 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

                As I was doing my devotions this morning, I was struck by a thought from my childhood. It was a strong sense of wanting to be sought out. Let me explain.

                I was always a shy child. Somewhere along the way I got the idea in my head that it was wrong for me to put myself out or promote myself. Consequently, I found myself in the position of waiting for others to take notice of me. The more I waited, the more isolated I felt. I can remember several times when I was alone and longed for someone to seek me out. As I moved into adolescence, this got worse. I was caught between wanting to be noticed by the “right” people and hoping that I wasn’t noticed by the “wrong” people. When I was in college, I began to learn how to initiate interactions with others in a positive way. Yet, even today as a mature adult, I still have times when I long for others to take the initiative to seek me out.

                I believe this desire to be seen, to be found, to be known, is hardwired into all of us. We don’t all respond to this desire in the same way. Some people tend to live in the shadows hoping that someone will notice. Others intentionally step into the spotlight calling people to notice them. Most people navigate a middle ground, being content with whatever interactions come their way.

                I think this desire to be found comes from our need to connect with God. The vast majority of people in the world are engaging in religious activities in order to get God’s attention; to be noticed by God. Many people satisfy their desire to be known by God through human relationships. They place other people in the place of God and try to find their desire fulfilled through them. Still others take an aggressive “I don’t care” attitude and go through life as if they can do it all on their own. All three of these approaches fall short of satisfying that need to be not just noticed, but to be known.

                God understands our need to be found and so He entered our world looking for us. God sent Jesus into the world for the express purpose of seeking us out. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV) The parable of the lost sheep tells us that God is seeking us as individuals who are lost and need to be found. Jesus has opened the door for us to know Him and be known by Him. Through the Holy Spirit, He continues to reach out to us to assure us that we are seen and loved. All of the world’s religions are attempts to seek out God. Only Christianity reveals the truth that God is really seeking us. He has taken the initiative and is waiting for us to respond.

                As it says in Revelation 3:20, Jesus is standing at the door of our life waiting for us to let Him in. He has already reached out to us. He has already noticed us. He sees us as valuable and worthy of having a relationship with Him. He knows all that there is to know about us and still loves us unconditionally. All that is needed is for us to open our hearts to Him and receive the gift of friendship that He is freely offering.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)