This post is about a different pursuit. Not the Lord's pursuit of us, but our pursuit of Him. I wrote previously that my pursuit of Him all started when I realized He had been pursuing me all along. This is what drives my desire to follow Him through all walks of life, through all battles that living in this world brings. However, it's great to talk about how much we love God, but what does that really mean?
To pursue God, it means...
1. You spend time with Him. This does not just mean by going to church on Sunday, though being faithful to attend church is great, but spending time praying and studying His Word.
2. You take joy in the trials. "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." - James 1:12 - We all go through the valleys of life when our faith is being tested. He uses these tough moments to stretch and refine us. He's bringing us closer to Him during this process!
3. He comes before all things. This one can be tricky because we live such crazy and hectic lives. However, if we really want to know our King closely, He must be our first priority. "Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ - Matthew 22:37
4. Obey. Ouch... I know this one can hurt when we're wanting to go our own way, but we must remember that He will not lead us away from Himself. He wants us to be close to Him, and part of that means following His direction.
5. Serving. One way to pursue God is to love and serve others just as Jesus did. We need to study God's nature and how Jesus lived as a man. We can see by His example that He was willing to give it all for the sake of others. True love is sacrificial love. Are we sacrificing for those around us? Only when we are willing to do this can we experience the fullness of God.
6. Thank Him. Being thankful isn't just for the month of November. The Bible tells us to "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4
These are just a few of the ways we can pursue God. Ultimately, our whole lives should be dedicated to His purpose of bringing Him glory and seeing others turn their lives to Him! It's an exciting journey we're on, and truly the greatest love story we'll ever be a part of. Let us continue to seek Him with our whole hearts just as He pursued us with His.
"The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ." - Oswald Chambers