Chasing
By Lexi
Ellis
“For You
have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul
clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”
Psalm 63:7-8
(NASB)
I recently read the words of an
actress discussing turning 40 years old. She said, “The trick for me turning 40
was to really evaluate what I wanna do with this next phase in my life…The one
thing I don’t wanna do is chase what I looked like at 20.”[1]
I think of actresses who very clearly
“chase” what they used to look like through plastic surgery. We roll our eyes
at it, but think of the multi-billion dollar industries that thrive on our
chasing what we used to look like. Think of the money and resources we spend to
change - - desperately chase - - in an attempt to recapture what used to be.
The more I thought about it, the more
I saw how silly it is on paper. Why chase something that’s gone? Why spend the
time and money desperately trying to look 20 when you’re not? How foolish to
chase something that isn’t now obtainable.
And yet, I do the same thing. What do
I chase instead of God? What do I desperately run after in my life that isn’t
obtainable? I chase control. I chase consistency. I chase my plans. I chase my
way. I chase my timing. I chase outcomes I want.
These things I chase aren’t for my
best. They’re not obtainable if I want to serve and love others like Jesus did.
They’re not things I can dwell on if I’m about advancing the Kingdom. The
things I’m chasing, the things I’ve built my security on, are distractions and
obstacles to fully surrendering to Him.
Instead of chasing things of this
world, how would my life look differently if I intentionally chose to chase
after my Creator? What kind of words would I use differently if I was
continually chasing God’s will? What kind of attitude would I have if I strove
to chase my Savior? The best part about chasing God instead of my own agenda is
that it’s a drastically different result, as in, it’s an obtainable
relationship.
The petty things I chase affect my
relationship with God because they consume me. They reveal my selfishness. I
need to deliberately choose to chase God, to choose to cling to Him like the
psalmist David does in Psalm 63. This actress realized chasing something
unobtainable like younger looks is foolish.
May we see the insignificant things
we chase and choose to make a shift so we find ourselves chasing Him.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What worldly things are
you chasing?
2. What do you need to do
right now to chasing your God?
FURTHER READING:
Lexi and her husband, Andrew, have an adorable puppy named Calvin. She teaches sixth grade at Silver Lake Intermediate School. Lexi serves with Children’s Ministries at Oakwood and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.
