Chasing shadows: The search for meaning in a noisy world

A plant cannot uproot itself from the ground and water, claiming it wants to survive on its own. A baby in the womb cannot say it cannot stay in there for five months and wants to come out successfully, neither will survive.

The same thing applies to us as humans – we cannot survive without the One who formed us. We cannot find our true meaning without the One who created us. It will always be a cycle of chasing shadows until we come to Him to find our meaning.

You know, “Starting from scratch, He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find Him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; He’s near. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]” (Acts 17:26–28 MSG & AMP).

Since everything we are and our existence is in Him, we can only find the true meaning of life through Him. Only by beginning our search for meaning with Him and turning to Him can we make sense of life, filling the void that material possessions, fame, beauty, and achievements cannot fill.

The good news is that He does not want us to grope around in darkness and toil in cycles just to fill the emptiness; no, He wants to be found by us, but we must seek Him. No matter how much we try on our own, we cannot find life’s meaning without Him. Neither can we fill the void, because He says, “… Apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 AMP). Everything starts in Him and finds purpose in Him.

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.

You know, “Starting from scratch, He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find Him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; He’s near. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]” (Acts 17:26–28 MSG & AMP).

From beginning to end He’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of His death, His blood that poured down from the cross (Colossians 1:15–20 MSG).

So, my dear friends, begin your search for meaning with Him, and everything will start making sense; the missing pieces will come together, and you will have clarity on life’s meaning and more than that, you will have a relationship with the One who made you and whose breath keeps you alive, directing your paths in life and guiding you.

What have you been using to fill the void in your heart, and has it truly satisfied? You’ve seen the emptiness of chasing shadows. You’ve now met the Source who can fill the void. But how can you know Him? What does an actual relationship with God look like?

To be continued…

In Part 3, we’ll walk through practical steps to begin your journey with the One who created you and learn how to stay close to Him for life.