“To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.”
–A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
If we love Jesus and long to be in His presence, then we will pursue Him. The scripture admonishes us to seek or pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It says to fight or contend for the faith, to put on and put off to grow in Christlikeness.
Why do we pursue Jesus?
He pursues us
Notice what Isaiah writes –
I kept extending Myself to a people who don’t care a whit. All day long I opened my hands to those who constantly work against Me, Those busy pursuing their own rotten path, inspired by their own rotten schemes.
Isaiah 65:2 The Voice
The apostle Paul uses that verse in Romans 10 to compare Israel’s lack of faith to the Gentiles’ faith. At the same time, it offers us hope. We also are obstinate, disobedient people, but God continues to hold out His hands to us – not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
We are admonished to pursue Him
This Advent season, as we focus on loving and longing for Jesus, let’s explore our responsibility to seek God – an exhortation often repeated in scripture:
Now seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly and with your entire being!
1 Chronicles 22:19a NET
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
Isaiah 55:6 NLT
The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him.
Lamentations 3:25 TLB
Hosea 10:12 NETSow righteousness for yourselves, reap unfailing love. Break up the unplowed ground for yourselves, for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers deliverance on you.
Seek the Lord and the strength he gives. Seek his presence continually.
Psalm 105:4 NET
God’s grace works through our prayers and our efforts. In the words of J. P. Moreland, “Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort.” If we are to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Jesus, we must put effort into the fight of faith.
Jonathan Dodson, Gospel-Centered Discipleship
How do we seek Him?
“We must cultivate the family likeness. This is sanctification – the process of becoming more like Christ. Our initial, saving gaze is followed by continual sanctifying glimpses. Where we look is important because we become what we behold. … A disciple of Jesus is a person who so looks at Jesus that he or she reflects his glory in everyday life.”
Jonathan Dodson, Gospel-Centered Discipleship
- We make a conscious choice to direct our hearts towards God – in everything we do, housework, jobs, parenting, shopping, even wrapping gifts during the holidays – we purposefully focus on God, bringing Him to mind – as the Apostle Paul wrote, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT.
- In seeking God, we call on Him with words of adoration, worship, awe, reverence, and thanksgiving. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” Hebrews 13:15 NIV.
- Read, study, and pray the Word. Through the Word, we learn more about His heart, mission, patience, and plan for our lives.
- Talk to HIm. Talk to Jesus all through the day. Talking to Him doesn’t have to be formalized prayer. It can just be a conversation – talk to Him about the grocery list, the status of the laundry, and the events you are entering on your calendar.
- Talk to others about Him. Find a community of believers with whom you can talk about the deep things of the faith. Study, explore questions, dive into theology, worship, and praise God together.
