PursuitSample

Faith is a Pursuit - Devotion with Ps Chris Ensbey

When I used to skateboard in high school, I used to love a cruise. I have great memories of skating on a path beside the beach on a longboard where you could coast along - rolling great distances just by one kick. Longboarders live for the ‘coasting’. However, when it comes to our faith and our relationship with God, there is no coasting. Hebrews 12:1-2 describes it as a footrace, like the 100m at the Olympic Games where you compete for the prize of Jesus. It’s so easy to get into a coasting groove in our faith where week to week we do the same things, we read the Bible, we go to Church, we try to be nice to people but we are just coasting along.

Hebrews 11:6 shows that our purpose on this planet is to draw near to God and that the only way we can do that is by faith. It also shows us that only those that draw near, that pursue, that seek, that chase, that run after God are rewarded with the prize of HIs presence and a faith that is being ‘perfected’.

There is no neutrality in your faith. You have an accelerator and a brake, and your foot is always on one of those depending on your pursuit of God. Pursuing God, at its core, is about the affections of your heart. It’s about what you want. It’s about what you love and what you desire. To pursue God is to direct all your wants, your longings, your love towards Him, and the things of His Kingdom.

THIS IS HARD - because so often we live in a place of ‘want to want’. I ‘want to want’ to read my Bible more but I just don’t find it that appealing. I ‘want to want’ to pray with my husband or wife but it’s just so awkward.

So here are two quick things that can help you start to direct your heart today:

1. Habits. Habits shape the affections of the heart (and vice versa but habits we can control). Start to put some good habits in place in your life - even if you don’t love reading the Bible or praying or giving - just do it in consistent bite-size pieces at the start. Consistency is key.
2. Thankfulness. Start to thank God for everything good in your life. Thankfulness decentralises yourself from being the centre of your universe. It stops making it all about you and starts to make it all about God. Give thanks for the food on the table, for a job, for loved ones, for a great sunset, for your level of health, for the things you enjoy - any blessing!

Prayer

Lord, will you shape my heart this year to want to want you. Will you put a fire in my heart that burns only for the things of you? I am dedicated to pursuing you, you will, your purpose, and your presence with everything that I am. Amen.