In Full: Pursue LifeSample

Pursue Life

Ready: “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” - John 10:10 (NLT)

Set: Life has often been counted by the ticking of a game clock or hours and days dedicated to practices, driving to tournaments and the stretch of sports season after sports season. We pursue a life of athletics because it feels born in us, or a sweet surprise we’ve gratefully stumbled into. And we honor this life by giving as much of ourselves to it as we can.

Through long nights of film, early morning weightlifting and building camaraderie as a team, life has meant dedication to honing our skills and setting our sights on scholarship, the next level and personal bests.

As competitors, we’re wired for life on the field. But where is our eternal focus? How can we give our all while in pursuit of an abundant life God says we can have?

We dive in and bring God into our hearts’ motivations. We Pursue Life with everything we’ve got. We run after it. We’re intentional with it.

Life is the collection of experiences that make up the span of our existence. In spiritual terms, it’s eternal life through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection to pay for our sins and connect us to God the Father.

Before we were born, God set a number of days to our lives that we would roam the planet at a specific point in history. He gave us days ordained from the beginning, and how we live them out is determined by how we’ve set it in our hearts to live.

There’s length of life, but there’s also quality of life. We don’t know how many years we have on earth, but we do know how to be aware of the time we’re given.

But have we really savored the rich and satisfying life Christ Jesus came to give?

There is an enemy of our souls who would like nothing more than to keep us from experiencing God’s best for our lives. He works to distract and dull our minds and hearts so we don’t live out a life of abundance. But Jesus came to offer us exactly what God intended when He brought us into being: relationship, unconditional love and a vivid life full of depth.

Go:

• What are your athletic and personal motivations?

• Why is it important to know what God’s purpose for life is?

• How can you pursue God’s way of life?

Overtime: “Father, thank You that You have given me life through Jesus. Thank You that You have made a way for me to be with You forever, as well as live a life of abundance in You while on earth. Help me to open my heart to examine my motivations and to surrender anything that isn’t of You. I trust You know what’s best for my life. Amen.”