By Tim Schmig, Executive Director of The Michigan Association of Christian Schools

I recently spent an enjoyable afternoon with a former colleague that I taught with for 3 years. As we were catching up on our lives and some of the lives of our students, he informed me that one of my former students was on a search for truth by testing all of the World’s major religions to embrace their truth. Without dismissing him entirely, let me say anyone on that quest is to be admired on an elementary level. Most people live a lifetime and never ponder the great questions of life.

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

Where am I going?

Actually, I felt we covered these questions as we addressed the purpose of life in our Bible class. However for some, that may not be enough. Truth is a personal discovery, like happiness, it is an inside job. Some people dream of finding truth, others put their dreams in motion.

In the bestselling book, The Secret Rhonda Byrne says her personal journey for truth led her to the ancient texts and world religions. Her conclusion essentially is that the secret to life is the Law of Attraction.  We are attracted to the things we think about and to the people we resemble in life. Is this so unusual? Is this the secret to life? We join clubs and leagues that associate with people just like us. We do business with people we like who resemble our values and make us comfortable with them.

In all of my years in business I never known of someone to say “my supplier has nothing in common with me, as a matter of fact, we argue over every little detail, we are polar opposites, but you know what, I just keep buying from him because he has the best product”. I seriously doubt that conversation would take place for long. No, the customer would find a supplier he could tolerate being around, or insist the company send another representative to service his account.

If anyone truly wanted to find the secret to life, their journey would have to begin with scripture. Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments,”  again the psalmist says “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant”. Psalm 25:14

The secret and it’s really no secret, fear God and keep his commandments. Life surely is a one act play. There is no do-over and take it from the top again. We get one opportunity to get it right. We all have the great enterprise of exploring the scriptures and applying them to our lives. In this respect, some people fail miserably and some people succeed beyond their richest expectations. Why is that? I believe it is found in the little word desire: internal drive and initiative. “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.”  Proverbs 18:1 Our mission to find truth is motivated  by our own desire to find it.

For us, Life is a blank check waiting for us to fill in the amount and endorse it with the signature of our heart’s desire. This is our commitment to the secret of life.

Visit the Michigan Association of Christian Schools website.