A Paradox In Christian Thought and How It Helps Us to Attain How We Are Called to Live By Christ Jesus

As Tozer has said, the Christian life is somewhat of a paradox. While many would argue that our belief in Christ and His virgin birth, and then His death and subsequent resurrection are in themselves a paradox in our postmodern world, I find these seemingly impossible (and to some, implausible) truths quite easy to understand and to believe. These things, a sincere Christian of necessity must take on faith, believing in the Word of God and those who were called to set it on paper in a manner that mere created beings would be able to understand. What I have in mind is on the surface what appears to be a simpler paradox, one that deals with the Christian’s daily life and circumstance as well as his personal walk with the Lord.
We are called to be content in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians of his ability to be content in any circumstance that he had been placed in: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” While Paul talks of being content, he at the same time speaks of continually seeking and striving after Christ. Here emerges the paradox. Quickly followed by another closely related: To finally have found God, to accept His call and then to continue to pursue Him and His great love...why, in the human mind, that doesn’t follow a logical pattern at all. Yet still, we are given this command: Be content. Yet while you are content, seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added. Do not be anxious Christ says, but ask for everything. Why then has the apostle, and even Christ Himself, given us this command? I believe that it goes back to the relationship between the church, the Bride, and Christ, the Bridegroom. We can even see examples of this in our daily lives, though they are faulty. A lover, even after he has secured the affections of the one he has his eye on, will rarely cease the pursuit. Why? He loves her. He wants her to know this. What better way than to continue the pursuit. As time moves on, the pursuit changes. It changes in tone, fervor and intensity. In a healthy relationship, these all become more and more intense as the years go by. The same is what we as believers are called to in our walk and striving after God. As our lives with Christ progress, we must always be seeking new knowledge of Him. We must always be questing after new facets of His love. As He called us to Him, and still calls us into the depths of His love and person, each bit of new knowledge, new insight, new dimension of love should continue to call us deeper into love with Him. Yet always we must be content with what He has revealed to us, always remembering that He gives us what we need, in the time we need it and the measure that we need it in. He is the great Provider, and lover of our soul. He will forever and always give us what we need-prompting us to be content in our life. But never should we be stop seeking His heart, striving for a deeper love for Him, striving to continue to grow in His ways, to grow in righteousness and continue to quest after a blameless walk, to grow in faith and become like Abraham, who was called a friend of God.