3 Pitfalls in Passionate Pursuit
Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, CSB
Passionate pursuit is the ideal way to keep growing with Jesus. In light of the call to passionately pursue Jesus, it seemed wise to highlight 3 pitfalls that compete with our ability to be passionate pursuers.
1. Emotional/Adrenaline Fueled Pursuit. Especially after those emotional ‘highs’ that come from a great time of worship or a conference or some other experience with God, we are tempted to let emotion and adrenaline be the drivers of our pursuit. And it might work in the short term but, it won’t be long before you are off seeking another ‘moment’ or ‘experience’ to pursue Jesus. And that’s the rub. Our pursuit of Jesus is not a sprint, it’s an ultra-marathon. We have to let the Holy Spirit fuel our pursuit. He doesn’t run out of energy. His empowering is not a spiritual sugar rush that will fade by Monday at noon. He is glad to give you everything you need to pursue Jesus today, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow (you get the picuture).
2. Neglecting God-given Resources. Passionate pursuit requires the resources God has positioned in and around you. Resources? What resources? Well, we’ve already mentioned the empower presence of the Holy Spirit so that’s a good place to start. But, we also have fellow Christ-followers. My brothers and sisters in Christ can ‘spur me on to love and good deeds’ if I let them. They are around you for your good and growth. You have to lean into community for pursuit. Spiritual disciplines are another great example of God-given resources. How are you doing at practicing fasting, prayer, solitude, service, study, worship, and so on? What spiritual discipline have you been neglecting or have you never tried? Committing to the practice of spiritual disciplines help fuel our passionate pursuit.
3. Lack of Strategy. An Olympic athlete doesn’t show up at the Olympics by accident. They have a whole life strategy built out years in advance. They plan everything from what they eat to where they will live based on their desire to compete in the games. On the other hand, we often approach our pursuit of Jesus as haphazardly as a toddler in a toy store. No wonder it doesn’t work out. You should have some spiritual goals. I suggest both short- and long-term goals. What is it that God is asking you to get away from? What is it that you hear Him asking you to do that’s new or different or better? Evaluation is also helpful part of any good strategy. If we never stop to consider how or if our plan is working, its rather likely that we are planning for failure. Asking self reflective questions is a good starting point. Consider questions like: Am I growing this year over last year? Am I more mature spiritually? Am I stuck somewhere in particular? An honest and mature Christ follower’s input could also be helpful. Have them answer questions like: What hang-ups do you see in my pursuit of Jesus? What area of struggle do you think I should work on? What strengths should I lean into? We use strategy in so many areas of our life but often forget to use it when it comes to our passionate pursuit of Jesus. Jesus used a strategy in His life and ministry. He had clearly defined goals and a plan on how to complete the mission God gave Him. We would be well served to have the same approach.
Passionate pursuit is the ideal way to keep growing with Jesus. Let’s go!