Chasing After God
I was remembering just the other day, back when I was in Kindergarten. There were two or three girls who made a habit of chasing me at recess so they could kiss me. Yes, you read that correctly. I can’t remember why I was running from them. As a 5 year old boy, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Have you ever seen one of those TV shows where someone has to chase after a greased pig or try to catch a chicken? People can look a bit silly when they are chasing something that doesn’t want to be caught. I’m not sure what they would do with it if they did ever catch it.
I remember a time when I had a car stolen right in front of me. I was getting gas and went in to pay, but I had left my keys in the car. When I came out of the 7-11 (that tells you how long ago it was), I saw a woman in my car pulling out of the parking lot. I chased her down, got in my car, and turned off the ignition. Neither of us were very happy at the moment.
Do you know anyone who has spent their entire life chasing the American Dream? Those people are all around us. You can chase the glitz, but the glitz eventually fizzles. The dream becomes a distant memory.
Growing up, I always liked playing the game, “Hide ‘n Seek.” Have you ever thought about what it would be like to play “Hide ‘n Seek” with God? It would be no fun at all. Regardless of how well you hid, He would find you instantly. And when it came your turn to close your eyes and count, the second that you opened them, He would be standing right in front of you! Because HE WANTS TO BE FOUND! But He calls us to chase.
When you think of it, much of life involves a “chase.” People chase after the perfect spouse. Businessmen chase after the next career move. Policemen chase criminals. Realtors chase the next deal. Stockbrokers chase the next big payday. Musicians chase the next big hit. Moms chase after their kids, and dads chase after, well, lots of things. It seems that everyone is chasing something.
What are you chasing?
To “chase after” implies that there is something out there so utterly important, that we would do whatever it takes to have that in our possession. Otherwise, we would simply “stroll after,” or “mosey after,” or “walk after.” Those phrases just don’t carry the same urgency as “chase after” do they? If we are chasing after something, and all of us are, that means we are desperate for it; that we want it so badly, that we are willing to put out maximum effort so we can have it.
What are you chasing?
I think it is rather obvious in the Bible that God wants us to chase after Him. He speaks of pursuing Him with a diligent passion until we find Him. He encourages us to persistently seek Him in prayer, because He wants to be found by us. He tells us to draw near (chase) to Him and He will draw near to us. He challenges us to knock, and keep on knocking; to seek, and keep on seeking, and to ask, and keep on asking; in order that He might be found by us. The Prophet Jeremiah tells us that we will find Him when we chase after Him with all of our heart. We’re told that John the Baptist sought the kingdom aggressively, and that we should do the same. Even a cursory look at Paul’s life reveals that he chased hard after God. He chased so hard, it cost him his life.
What are you chasing? And if you get it, will it really be worth it?
I want to encourage you to chase hard after God. You know this Christianity thing is no walk in the park, especially when we do it the way He taught us to; you know, with diligence and passion. It’s easy to sit back and just rejoice that you’re in the club, IF you are in the club. But it’s another thing to love the unlovely, to forgive the unforgivable, to feed the hungry, to visit the prisoners, to encourage the depressed, to return kindness for hatred, to praise Him in the stormy times, to seek Him in the dark times, to rejoice in Him in the down times, to follow Him in the uncertain times, to obey Him in the rebellious times, to submit to Him in the prideful times, to have faith in Him in the scary times, to love Him in the broken times, and to honor Him at all times. But that is what chasing after God means in real life.
So chase after Him because He is worthy of all your efforts! Chase after Him because He holds the keys of life! Chase after Him because there is no other God! Chase after Him because that is the only way you will fulfill your purpose in life! Chase after Him because this world is not worthy of your pursuits! Chase after Him because that is where real meaning lies! Chase after Him because time is running out! Chase after Him because it’s not all about you! Chase after Him because that is how you prove that your love for Him is real! Chase after Him because you were made for the chase!
So what are you chasing anyway?
Chasing,
GW
9-11-09