I sprinted through the midnight dark streets of the neighborhood. Streetlights and moonlight cast shadows and laughter echoed through the houses. My pack of teenage friends chased after another gaggle of giggling kids. We were in hot pursuit; we raced back to base – a starlit trampoline. A game of cops and robbers. Pursuing each other. Seeking friendship. Stalking belonging.
I sat hunched over a computer screen for hours at the kitchen bar. This is where I could be found each evening after my growing-too-fast-boy went to bed and through the weekends. I listened and took notes intently, researched topics, met with my principal and planned my final project. Pursuing my master’s degree. Seeking knowledge. Stalking career advancement.
I leave my phone in my purse and choose to ignore the buzz of my watch on my wrist. My boy tells me a story. I hold his eyes and soak in his words. Pursuing connection. Seeking to listen not just hear. Stalking future conversations.
I sit quietly. A whispered prayer escapes my lips. I take in the Word. Pursuing a relationship with my friend, Jesus. Seeking my mighty God. Stalking the filling of the Spirit.
Friends, I’ve been reading 1 Timothy. Paul is writing to Timothy, who is a young leader in a growing church. With each verse I read, a word echoes through my mind – pursue. Awareness washes across my heart. It’s as if God is asking me to open my eyes, to evaluate my heart and my pursuits.
What am I pursuing?
When we consciously and with intent choose our pursuits, outside forces of life cannot dictate them for us.
We can pursue venomous, gossip-filled conversations or life-giving, loving conversations. We can pursue noticing the ways our families love us or we can choose to only notice when they don’t do it in the ways we would. We can fill our calendars with all the things we are asked to do and think we must do, or we can say no and carve out margins to rest and restore. We can pursue extra moments with our Savior, or we can be distracted by our to do lists.
Pursuit doesn’t happen without action. We must turn toward that which we are pursuing, focus on it, move toward it.
We must walk toward conversations that breathe life, start them, redirect toward them. We must run toward noticing and celebrating those that care about us and the ways they show us that concern. We must hurdle the obstacles in our calendars and pursue rest. We must sprint toward time with our friend, Jesus.
Pursuit of peace…
Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14
Pursuit of righteousness and godliness…
… pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness
1 Timothy 6:11
Pursuit of encouragement…
Pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another
Romans 14:19
Sweet friends, what will you turn toward and pursue this week?
Love, Hugs, Mercy and Grace – Bethany
Thanks for this thought-provoking word. Our world wastes so much time pursuing the wrong things. Beautiful post.
Thank you, Leah! May God bless you with eyes to see the right things and strength to pursue them. 🙂
So good! Pursuit requires action so it shouldn’t be hard to hold a mirror to our own life: what does my behavior say about what I’m pursuing? And what needs to change about that? Thank you for these words!
Thank you, Sarah! I’m thankful they spoke to your heart. Blessings to you!
Thank you Bethany for reminding us that the things we pursue should be worthy of our pursuit. Jesus and His Kingdom are indeed worthy and are eternal. The things of this world are not worthy and are temporal. God Bless your writing.
Thank you, Jerry!