The Pursuit of God

One of my dear friends from the Bahamas was so smitten with a high school classmate that he went to some incredible lengths to get her attention. She was not particularly impressed with him, and after going to the United States for college, she refused to take his phone calls. So, my friend got on an airplane and flew to an airport near her college, rented a car, and drove to her dorm. She was still refusing to take his phone calls, so he dauntlessly sent a note to her through a classmate walking into the dorm. He waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, she sent a note back out containing only two words: NOT INTERESTED! After all of that pursuit by him, she was not even willing to greet him in person! Well, you might think my friend would have taken the hint and given up, but I can say with great confidence that they have been happily married now for over 35 years! I think we all agree that some things worth having are worth pursuing.

The apostle Paul argued that a relationship with God is worth pursuing with everything we have. He described this pursuit as something requiring sacrifice and persistence, but also one that is completely worth the investment and price, regardless of how high it is. The problem is, we cannot “phone it in.” We have to pursue Jesus with everything that we are. Paul described it like an athlete trying to win an important race: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)  

In his wonderful book, The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer encourages this type of pursuit of God. Tozer warns us against a type of comfortability with the mundane that leaves us with a painfully dissatisfying pseudo-relationship with God. In his words, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present, or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.” God expects us to pursue Him, and when we do, He allows us to find Him. May this be our story today, that we would follow hard after God, leaving this behind and forgetting anything that might get in the way of this diligent pursuit.

Expectantly,

Shawn

P.S. Please join me in praying for the Lynix family as they are mourning the recent loss of Sarah’s grandfather, Earl Rolen.