One of the reasons our lives become boring is we lose our awe of God. In doing so, we settle for an existence filled with restless distraction. C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, The Weight of Glory, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
God created all human beings with an innate desire to worship. If we aren’t worshipping God, you can bet we will be worshipping an idol that will leave us unsatisfied. What makes this cycle even more problematic is we seldom realize when we’ve fallen into this trap. And before long, it becomes life as we know it. But we don’t have to settle for a life filled with restless distraction that leaves us moving from one disappointment to the next. Instead, we can fix our eyes on the wonders of God and live in awe-inspired reverence.
In Psalm 8, we find David exalting God’s name, recalling His powerful deeds of righteousness, and praising God in awe-filled joy. As David pours out his adoration for God, he’s struck with a staggering reality. David writes,
“When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?” (Psa. 8:3-4).
David’s pen brings to light the stunning reality that the all-powerful Holy God of the universe is intimately acquainted with each one of us. This truth is echoed in the New Testament. Jesus said, “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted” (Matt. 10:28-30). The good news doesn’t end there. Not only does God know each one of us—He gives us the opportunity to know Him so well we can live our lives in perpetual awe of His glory.
Some of us spend our whole lives searching for significance—to feel known and loved. The Bible makes it clear that we are already known by the One who loves completely and perfectly. As Christ-followers, we have nothing to prove. Our worth was settled at Calvary when Jesus demonstrated He loved us so much He was willing to die for us (Rom. 5:8). When we live our lives in response to that reality, we can relax. We don’t have to look for the next thing because we already possess the ultimate thing. We are children of God designed to live in awe and wonder of the One who created us. Maybe you’ve lost your awe of God, or perhaps you’ve not experienced it yet. If that’s true of you, ask God to fill you with awe of Him. If you want to pray a bold prayer, tell God you want this type of relationship with Him more than anything else. And then pray earnestly until it becomes reality. As C.S. Lewis said, let’s not settle for mud pies when God designed us for a holiday at the beach.
