What are we looking for in life?

THIS is a question we need to ask ourselves as early as possible. And, of course, we should try to get the right answer. It’s a question Christ asked the two disciples who followed Christ after John the Baptist referred to Christ as the Lamb of God. (cfr. Jn 1,35-39)

The two disciples simply responded, “Where are you staying?” Their question elicited Christ’s invitation to them to “come and see.” And when they saw where he stayed and, in fact, stayed with him for a day, their lives changed drastically.

We should be clear about what we are after in this life. Is it just to spend time and see what is going to happen? Are we just totally dependent on chance or on luck? Or are we only interested in some fame, wealth, power, pleasure?

We cannot deny the obvious fact that many people nowadays are not quite clear as to their purpose in life. And those who seem to have some idea about it, have it wrong, since their idea of purpose is simply time-and-earth-bound. There’s hardly anything transcendent about it.

Some may leave a worthwhile legacy beyond their death, but again it is something that can only fade in time. It cannot stand the test of forever!

Like those two disciples, we should always be curious about Christ and follow him. We should always look for him, for he is “the way, the truth and the life” for us. We cannot go to the Father (God), we cannot attain the eternal life proper to us, without him.

That is also why Christ himself said that we seek first the kingdom of God, and not to worry so much about our temporal and worldly needs, because all these will also be provided by him as long as we look for Christ first.

This looking for Christ should be our basic attitude that should guide us daily and give shape to that day. Our life should be characterized by an attitude of looking forward, of watching and expecting, clarifying and pursuing our intentions, and being ever hopeful.

We need to realize then that we have to take utmost care of our intention, making it as explicit as possible, and honing it to get engaged with its proper and ultimate object who is God.

We should try our best to shun being simply casual or cavalier about this responsibility. We can easily play around with it, since intentions are almost invariably hidden from public knowledge. We are urged to be most sincere in directing our intentions properly.

We can easily fall into hypocrisy and deception, doing what can appear good externally but is not internally, since we could refuse giving glory to God, which is the proper intention to have, and instead feed and stir our vanity, pride, greed, lust, etc.

We need to actively purify our intentions, since we have to contend with many spoilers in this regard these days. In fact, we just have to look around and see how openly opposed many people are of directing their intentions to God.

To them, intentions are strictly personal and confidential matters that others do not have any right to meddle. While there is a certain truth to this claim, we have to remind ourselves that our intentions too are subject to God’s moral law for us.

Our intentions can only have at their core the love of God, the giving of glory to God. As St. Paul once indicated, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10,31)