Are you interested in the matters of the soul?  Perhaps you’ve come to a place where you’ve realized you don’t have it all together.  You’re not sure what the purpose is for your life.  You’ve been longing to know God and if or whether He even exists.  And if He does, you’ve got some questions for Him – including whether He would want a place in your life.  So are you ready to begin a search for the truth and to seek after the facts?

If so, you are doing the right thing because Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”  What a wonderful promise for your journey and all of those that look to God for answers – not just seeking for knowledge sake, but as the Psalmist writes in Psalm 119:10, “I seek you with all my heart.”

Some good first steps in your journey are to humbly recognize that the outcome will have eternal implications and that whether or not you know who God is, He knows you and treasures you.  He longs for you to ask your questions and begin your journey.  Here are a couple of questions for you to start with in your search:

1. Why do you want to know God?
2. Are you placing limitations on God?
3. What do you think about Jesus ?
4. How will you respond to Jesus?

1. Why do you want to know God?
Be aware of your aspirations and motivations, because you may be looking for the wrong thing.

If you’re looking for happiness, realize that you may find God, but your life circumstances may lead to less happiness.  Will you feel cheated? Believers often report that God gives them greater joy, meaning, and purpose in life. But nearly every believer will also admit to experiencing periods of difficulty.

So this is a good question to ask yourself: What am I looking for? And, conversely, What does God offer me?

As you read God's book, the Bible, you'll discover how much He's already given. But He may not give you exactly what you've anticipated. So expect the unexpected, and make it your goal to find God, no matter what the outcome or perks. The bottom line is that you need to truly seek the Giver of life, not just His gifts.

2. Are you placing limitations on God?
When a new roommate moves into your home, you can expect some changes.  And when you allow God into your life, you should be prepared for the possibility that God may want to rearrange a few pieces of furniture as well.

Some people are fearful that God wants to throw out all the furniture and condemn their house as uninhabitable. But nothing could be further from the truth! God created us to be in relationship with Him and with each other. Through the Bible, God tells us that He wants us to enjoy this life in a way that's in line with His purpose for us.

But the question remains: Do you realize that God wants to be a powerful presence in your life, not just an idea in your head?

Many people seeking God declare intellectual reasons for dismissing the claims of the Bible, but in truth, they are not willing to give up some activity they know is offensive to God. If that's you, you need to know that God will take you as you are, but He doesn't want to leave you as you are. He wants you to let Him make you into what He wants you to be.

3. What do you think about Jesus ?

Someone seeking after God may think the proper order of inquiry is to first decide if there is a God (a philosophical question) and then figure out who Jesus is (a historical question). But another and possibly even more exciting way would be the reverse order.
Many people discover that when they deal with the person of Jesus, they find answers to many of their other questions at the same time.

Is there a God?
Yes, and He came to earth in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in John chapter 16, verse 28, "I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

Does God love me?
Yes! Look at what He did to show that love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" (John chapter 3, verses 16, 17).

What religion is the right one?
Reconsider that question in the light of the fact that God wants a relationship with you, not your religious affiliation. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus...There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians chapter 3, verses 26-28).

What do I have to do to live forever?
Accept Jesus as your forgiver and your God. See John chapter 6, verse 40: "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day."

How can I experience meaning and purpose in life?
By following Jesus and by cultivating your relationships with God and with other people. Matthew chapter 22, verses 37-40 says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

According to the Bible, until a person comes to terms with Jesus, he or she hasn't dealt with the issue that's most important in starting a relationship with God.
Consider this reality: Jesus is the most influential person in history. A poor itinerant preacher, the son of a carpenter but also the Son of God, changed the entire course of world history.

How can any serious spiritual search overlook Him? For example, today's date is based on a reckoning that hinges on Jesus' life. Because of Him, people were moved to split world history into two eras —"before Him" and "after Him" (B.C. and A.D.).

4. How will you respond to Jesus?

It's not enough to intellectually agree with Jesus' claims. If you read the Bible and recognize Jesus as the true Son of God, a man who walked the earth, lived a perfect life, died, and rose again from the dead, you must choose to cross the line of faith and receive Him. This is a once-for-all decision. A "process" follows, but you have to start by inviting Him into your life and accepting that He paid the debt you owe for your sin but could never pay yourself.