The UNKNOWN GOD

Something is defined as "a thing that is unspecified or unknown." It has been stated that, "In order to be truly happy, you must live along with, and you must stand for something larger than yourself." To many people this statement, made by a popular television personality, is encouraging and inspirational. However, given the definition of the word "something," it is possible to rewrite this statement to read, "In order to be truly happy, you must live along with, and you must stand for an unspecified or unknown thing larger than yourself." It doesn't have the same pizazz when you read it that way does it? How can you "live along with" and "stand for" something that is unspecified and unknown? I don't think you can. In the realm of spiritual matters that "something larger than yourself" is often given the label of god. However, if you don't identify who or what that god is, the only thing left to do is make one up. The Apostle Paul addressed this matter in Acts 17:22-23 when he said,

"Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you..."

Paul went on to define Who that "unknown God" is; the one true God of the Bible, Jesus Christ. When we don't define what that "something larger" than ourselves is, we make it up. The Bible also addresses that when it says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)." We run the risk of leaning on our own understanding when we are not trusting in the Lord or, worse, do not know Him at all. The only outcome of that thinking is that "everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6)." Without faith in, dependence on and guidance from Jesus Christ, you become your own god, relying on your own understanding and do what is right in your own eyes. Multiply that philosophy by the 7 billion people on earth and you have chaos; everybody doing as they see fit with no standard of truth to rely on. Can you be "truly happy" when everybody is making up their own rules and there is no order? Sooner or later there will be conflict between people and with no agreed upon standard to fall back on the only outcome will be violence and destruction. Rather than seeking to be happy, I submit that you seek to find joy and peace in your heart through a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Ultimately, those things we desire that we believe will make us truly happy were put there by the Lord. He is the "something larger" than ourselves and is the only one who can fulfill those desires in Himself.