Chasing?

Chasing after God, what does it really mean?

As I sit and ponder this question, it stirs something deep within my heart. Could this be that just thinking of what it means to chase after God awakens a part of us that no man, thing or action can touch? The desire that He put within us when He created us that only He can touch, the void that only He can fill, the thirst that only He can quench, that hunger that only He can satisfy.

There are many things that we do to try to fill these things outside of God and His design. Oftentimes it isn’t even intentional. Think of people around you who truly love God. You can see it in their actions, in the way they carry themselves and treat others. There are people that truly love God and want to do His will and be that Godly example in the world but still end up searching for something. That next high, no it doesn’t mean drugs or alcohol but people get ‘high’ off of a variety of things. Shopping, writing, drawing, eating, exercising, surfing the net, reading a book, chatting online, none of these things are bad in and of themselves but what if we are using these to try to fill something that only God can fill?

How often do I feel that hunger and grab a good book instead or find something to fix or make something just right? I can honestly say that I am a perfectionist and there is a rush you get when something is done just right or something comes out just the way you planned it but you know what, only God is perfect. In being a perfectionist, it is just like running on a treadmill. No matter how fast or hard you run, you are not going anywhere. That is what happens when you strive to make everything perfect. There is nothing wrong with working things in a spirit of excellence or pushing to be the best at what you do but perfection is only perfection in your eyes. No one else can meet your standards of perfection. But when you are a perfectionist and that plan comes out just the way you planned it or this or that happens, you get a little rush. Are you replacing God with a search for that rush? What would happen if you didn’t focus that time and attention on that one detail but turned it instead towards understanding God’s voice? What if instead of shopping for 3 hours, you spent 30 minutes in God’s word understanding more what is written and how it affects you?

What does it mean when we chase after God? To me, it reminds of what was said in Phillipians 3: 13 and 14. In my own understanding, what I take away from that is, I am not saying I am perfect or that I have made it but what I do know is that I lay aside and forget all of the past things and focus on God. I press and move and fight towards His example.

Is that what chasing God is? Leaving all the other stuff by the wayside, forgetting what your spouse said that irritated you, forgetting the ones that said you would never amount to anything, forgetting that best friend that betrayed your trust and focusing on God and all that He did and does for you. Focusing on the blessings that He gives on a daily basis that many of us take for granted. Focusing on truly listening for and to His voice. Understanding that in God’s eyes, obedience is greater than sacrifice and that in order to please Him, we must obey Him. Our sacrifice, no matter what it may be, is nothing without obedience to His word.

How do I chase after Him? By desiring and seeking to know Him. By reading and learning and meditating on His word to seek and understand His plan for my life and how He uses me to help others to know Him.

GodChaser? I can get with that.