My Relentless Pursuit

Some people devote themselves to the relentless pursuit of money. They are never satisfied always wanting to get more and more. They burn the candle at both ends and push themselves to make another dollar no matter the toll on their bodies or families.

Some assiduously pursue athletic accomplishments. They rise early for the grind of weight lifting sessions and stay late to build up speed and endurance. They are relentless in their desire to be an all star, all district, all conference, all state, all American, or an all pro player. They practice until their muscles burn from fatigue and then they push a little harder.

Some give themselves over to the pursuit of power. They want to keep climbing the ladder of success. Such people set their eyes on the top. They want the job titles, the big salaries, and the authority that goes along with them. They want to be the boss. Whether that be in the corporate world, the military or politics many are driven to get to the top.

My relentless pursuit is different. In fact, it is different than when I graduated from college. My relentless pursuit back then was to be a part of a growing church. At first I worked in student ministry. Later I served as a pastor. My driving ambition was not just to be in a growing church but to be one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the area. I focused on the numbers. My morale rose and fell based on the attendance figures.

That has all changed now. I can't pin point exactly when it happened. I think it was somewhere around 18 years ago. It changed slowly at first. I still wanted to see numerical increase wherever I served. Then one day it changed for good. On that day I quit concerning myself with numbers. One relentless pursuit captured my heart and imagination.

The relentless pursuit of God. To know Him. To walk with Him. To love Him more deeply. To hear Him more consistently. To discover new realms of His character. To stay in step with Him even if it means being out of step with others dominates my imagination. This is no fleeting passion. It is a goal so lofty, so ambitious and so consuming it will require the rest of my days.

So I am on the chase running hard after Yahweh. He alone is worthy of my relentless pursuit. All other pursuits pale in comparison. It is the unquenchable thirst and insatiable hunger to really know Him. I cannot be content to just know about Jesus. So I chase Him in prayer and scripture reading. I sit with Him for prolonged hours. I want more of Him.

I have no desire to pastor the largest church or the fastest growing. I am content to be where God appoints me and pursue Him. I am thankful for opportunities to preach and teach what He reveals to me on my relentless quest for Him. That's it. My simple but life consuming relentless pursuit.

What is your relentless pursuit? What are you exchanging your days for? What are you after? What do you push yourself to chase? A bigger house. A new car. A promotion at work. A new job title. Chasing those things is like chasing after the wind. Even if you get them you will find all of it is vanity like Solomon so eloquently wrote about in the book of Ecclesiastes.

My relentless pursuit can be summed up in two verse. "As the deer pants for the water brooks so pants my soul for You O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" [Ps 42:1-2] NKJV "O God, You are my God, early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory." [Ps 63:1-2] NKJV