What Seekest Thou by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

What Are You Really Looking For?

In Genesis 37:15, Joseph was wandering in a field when a certain man found him and asked a simple question: "What seekest thou?"

That question — *what are you looking for?* — is one of the most profound questions a human being can face. You can spend an entire life trying to answer it. You would think you have found the answer, and ten years later discover what you found was not really the answer. Many people have gone to their graves unable to answer it.

The Endless Cycle of Desire

Consider the pattern: a young boy in secondary school is depressed because he wants to pass his exams. The university student wants to graduate. The graduate wants a scholarship for a master's or PhD. The young professional wants to get married. The married person says the devil is a liar — they must have children. The one with children says thank God for girls, but they need boys too. The tenant wants his own house. The homeowner wants a bigger house. The parent wants responsible children, then discovers how much it costs to raise them, then says "I almost regret giving back to this child." The career person gets a job and gives testimony, then six months later wants a promotion. The couple whose salaries equalize now has a new crisis.

The frustrations never end. The source of frustration keeps changing, but the frustration itself remains identical.

You would go to the house of a very wealthy man, see everything you desire and aspire to, and yet that man is still looking for something — and if you ask him what, he will say something like: "I can give up all these things you see for what I am looking for."

There have been those who, with billions piled in their accounts, have taken their own lives. That a state can come in a man's life where it seems better to die than to live tells us something is deeply broken in how we are searching.

The Greater Tragedy: Success Without Fulfillment

Most people assume the greatest tragedy in life is failure — that the worst thing that can happen is to fail to achieve your dreams. But there is another tragedy greater than failure, and it is not death.

There is one thing worse than failure: success without fulfillment.

Success without fulfillment brings a greater sting, a greater frustration, than even failure. It is possible for a man to be successful and never be fulfilled. Psychologists will confirm that some of the people perceived as the most successful are among the most frustrated. They live lonely lives, they are on drugs, they cycle through therapy after therapy — and you are surprised when you see the awards in their offices, and yet those people can wake up one morning and literally die of frustration.

Understanding the subject of fulfillment is one of the pillars for living an effective life on earth.

The Six Fundamental Human Cravings

Every human being, provided they are alive, is driven by six fundamental cravings. They are not optional. Your sense of fulfillment from a human standpoint depends on these cravings being satisfied. If at any point they are unmet, the result is utter frustration — regardless of your career, your faith, your gender, your education, your nationality, or your level of success. These are common to the entire human species.

1. Security

   Every human being has a craving to feel secure — physically secure, emotionally secure. The specific form this takes varies by gender, age, and exposure, but the need itself is universal. Men and women will give up extraordinary things to feel secure, even when they are not truly secure. When someone in a dangerous environment sees a man in uniform, they are relieved — because that person represents security.

2. Variety and Dynamism

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   Human beings are not built to endure boredom indefinitely. People hate monotony. This is why anything new in media sells. This is why you eventually tire of the house you once celebrated. Companies reinvent the packaging of their products — not the product itself — and generate billions in revenue simply by satisfying this craving for variety. Same product. New presentation. It works because the craving is real.

3. Significance

   This is one of the most powerful cravings, especially in men. The concepts of respect, honor, and acknowledgement are all expressions of the need for significance. People crave to be acknowledged — to have someone recognize and attest to their worth.

   People can become enemies for decades simply because someone's pedigree was downplayed. The concept of the "high table" at events, of first class versus economy on flights, of VIP versus regular access — these are all elaborate systems invented to manage and communicate significance. None of them change your physical person. But they communicate something to your psychology that you crave deeply.

   You cannot imagine the degree to which you crave significance. It would take considerable enlightenment to become aware of the full extent of this need in your own life.

4. Love and Acceptance

   The opposite of acceptance is rejection, and the consequences of living in rejection are severe. Most people who join groups — even destructive ones — do so because they come from environments where nobody believed in them, nobody accepted them. They endure extraordinary pain if it promises acceptance at the end.

   There are sincere men and women who seek counseling and say: "I think I am beautiful. I think I am handsome. And yet nobody has ever said good morning to me." What they sense is the pain of rejection and a longing for acceptance — a craving that has no other name.

5. Growth and Increase

   Every parent wants to see their child grow. Every child is in a hurry to become an adult. A teenager who cannot yet drive will fight and argue to get behind the wheel one year early. Everything that is alive grows, and impeded growth is a source of grief.

   The excitement around degrees, certifications, milestones, and anniversaries is not just social convention — it is the expression of the instinct for growth. Even Jesus, as a teenager, was found at the temple satisfying that craving. Luke 2:52 says he increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and men. Growth is very powerful.

6. Impact and Contribution

   This sixth craving — the desperate need to know that your life is counting for something — is so powerful that it is one of the root causes of violence in many societies. Young people who are idle will attach themselves to any cause, any event, any movement, simply to feel that dopamine surge of relevance: *I am doing something. My life is counting for something.*

   There is nobody who wants to live as a non-entity. There are people who have resigned from jobs where they were well-paid and comfortable simply because they felt underutilized — not because of the salary, but because they wanted their lives to count.

All That We Seek Is Hidden in These Six Things

Every prayer request, every desire that drives a person — from any background, in any season of life — is an attempt, whether consciously or unconsciously, to draw one of these six cravings into their life.

All that we seek, all that we look for, all that we fight for, all that we work for, and all that we pray for is hidden in these six psychological needs.

Now here is the sobering truth:

Nothing physical or material in itself can ever give you fulfillment.

Not your certificate. Not your marriage. Not your children. Not the cars you buy. Not the titles. Not the ministry growth. These things are not useless — they are genuine expressions of success. But they have not been authorized by God to give anyone fulfillment. None of them carry the power to do it.

This is why in spite of every level of achievement, the craving remains. The young student, the graduate, the married man, the father, the grandfather, the career expert, the millionaire, the man of God with a large congregation — the same thread runs through all of them. A craving that many do not understand.

The Deception of Fulfillment Through Things

We have invented various ways of trying to satisfy these cravings through physical and material means, and that invention is the principal cause of frustration in the world.

When you receive a car key and rejoice, you are not rejoicing over metal. That car spells something to your psychology: *I am successful. I am not a failure.* That feeling is what you are actually after. And one day, you will be tired of that same car you once danced around and photographed. Not because the car changed — but because feelings are temporary by nature.

The same is true of every other acquisition. The house. The title. The position. The crowds. Each one carries an expression — a feeling — that briefly checks one of the six cravings. Then the feeling fades. Then you want more.

Ecclesiastes 12:8 — the Preacher, who was not a failure but the wisest and wealthiest man of his generation, said: *vanity upon vanities, all is vanity.* He had already arrived at the destination many people are still running toward. And from that destination, he said there is nothing there in itself.

This is not a call to mediocrity. It is a call to wisdom — to aspire and achieve, but to understand what you are truly looking for so you are not robbed by your own success.

What You Are Really Looking For

Consider the logic of the dying man. Imagine being told you have three hours left in this life — not from illness, not from accident, simply that your time is concluding. With that knowledge, think carefully: what becomes your point of focus?

Not another degree. Not a political office. Not another ministry milestone. In those final hours, with every other concern stripped away, there is one thing you will search for.

Peace.

John 14:27 — *"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."*

When you are craving security, what you are really looking for is peace.

When you are craving variety, what you are really looking for is peace.

When you are craving significance, what you are really looking for is peace.

When you are running from rejection and craving acceptance, what you are really looking for is peace.

When you are praying for growth, what you are really looking for is peace.

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All six psychological cravings are different ways the human heart tries to describe the same thing.

Psychology calls it security. Psychology calls it variety. Psychology calls it significance, love and acceptance, growth, impact and contribution. The Master calls it one word: peace.

The Wisdom You Must Capture

You must borrow the thinking of a man in his final moments to understand what fulfillment is about. That last-minute wisdom is what corrects a lifetime of misaligned pursuit.

The thing you would be looking for at the point of death is what you should find first in your life — and then have the privilege of enjoying it, because it is available even before you find any of the other things.

It is a waste of time to suspend your pursuit for peace until you have a house. It is a waste of time to suspend your pursuit for peace until you have children. It is a waste of time to suspend your pursuit for peace until you have money. None of those things have the power to give you peace. They may carry with them expressions of convenience that minister security or variety, but peace itself — they cannot give.

Jesus said: *"I give it to you."* Not when you finish your degree. Not when you become a professor. Not when you are sixty years old. Right where you are, before you even begin your journey, you can carry the peace of God. When you later find a house, it is just an added advantage. What peace is there even if the house goes — your peace remains.

Philippians 4:6-7 — *"Be anxious for nothing... and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall keep your heart and your mind."*

The Definition of Fulfillment

Fulfillment is the satisfaction and the joy that is derived from knowing that you have lived your life effectively, serving the purposes of God and being a blessing to humanity.

At the end of your life, there are only two things you will be remembered for: the problems you caused, or the ones you solved. The joy you took from lives, or the fact that you stretched yourself and did your very best — maybe not everything, but something.

What This Means Practically

The narrative that most people have — especially reinforced by social media — is that the moment you have enough money, enough success, enough recognition, the craving will finally be satisfied. But one who already arrived there before you said: *vanity upon vanities.*

This does not mean you should not strive. It means you must strive with wisdom. You must seek your dreams and your goals, but let peace be the constant underneath them. When God blesses you with a house or any other provision, receive it and thank God for it — but know at the back of your mind that none of these things are the basis for your effective living. They are expressions of the mercy and grace of God, consolations to your journey. Your life is effective not because of them, but because of the peace with which you served the purposes of the kingdom and blessed humanity.

Anything that wants to take your peace is not worth it.

Not politics. Not business. Not reputation. Not the opinions of people who did not invest in your destiny.

Matthew 6:25-33 — Jesus tells us: take no thought — do not be paralyzed by worry — about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Worry does not add one cubit. It only takes away what is already there. God who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field will much more clothe you. *"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."*

Little With Peace Is Much

There are people today who have peace but no car, and they think they are failures. They have peace but no house, and they say they are failures. They have peace but have not traveled abroad, and they accept the narrative of ignorant voices.

Come to the world of wisdom, where God tells you: no matter what you have, if peace is the foundation — you have something. No matter what you have, if you lost your peace on the way — you have nothing.

Little with peace is much. You do not know the worth of peace until your days are wrapping up.

Guard What Matters

There are three things — above and beyond any other pursuit — that must be protected:

• Your relationship with Jesus Christ
• Your family
• Your assignment

Aside from these three, absolutely nothing else in this life is a do-or-die affair.

Not the job. Not the recognition at an event. Not the contract. Not the ministry milestone. Not the car. Not the visa. Not whether the football team won.

Lose the business if necessary. But do not lose peace. Lose whatever is required. But do not lose peace.

Peace Is Not a Thing — Peace Is a Person

The final revelation is this: peace is not merely a feeling or a psychological state. Peace is a name. Peace is the life of God in a person.

John 14:27 — "Peace I leave with you." He did not say "a feeling" or "a state of calm." He said *my peace.* The peace that Jesus gives is himself. He is called the Prince of Peace — not because he manages a concept, but because he embodies it. To find peace is to find him.

You can have a house plus peace — and you have something worth celebrating. You can have a degree plus peace — and you have something worth celebrating. You can have children and marriage plus peace — and you have something worth celebrating. Why? Because only the house, the degree, the marriage can be taken. The peace of Christ — once received and guarded — cannot be taken by any system, any witchcraft, any economic collapse, any political force.