The Pursuit
1 John 4:8 (Amplified version) To the one who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him), for God is love. (He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature)
Looking back on my life, after forty-six years of living, I now believe that finding the joy in my salvation has been a journey. It took time for Jesus to come along to help me discover His consistency in helping me understand His True Love was for me. I am amazed how Jesus continues to transform my heart and mind daily. Jesus consistently reached out to me before I became fully aware how much I needed Him. This is my Jesus story that I want to share with you.
Before the Pursuit of Love
Before Jesus began to transform my heart, I was not looking for Him. During my years in college, I was very lukewarm in my passion toward Jesus. I did all the things that a “Christian” was supposed to do. I attended church, became baptized, and read my bible sporadically. I did not understand what it meant to give my heart to Him. I saw Christians who were “sold out” for Jesus, and I could not relate to them. Did I really need to talk about Jesus all the time? I felt okay with my routine with Jesus. He would have my Sundays, however, I could handle the my own life Monday through Saturday.
Besides, I am too outgoing to sit in the house, reading the bible or listening to sermons all day. I wanted to have fun, and at nineteen, my attitude about life, to put it simply, “It’s a Party”! Church became the place where I only gained education about Jesus. I took on a viewpoint that God was in Heaven, uninterested in really knowing me. His main concern was to take away my enjoyment I had in life. Thus, praying became less about relating to Jesus but a tool to get something out of Him. I was comfortable with this and truly believed my relationship with God was all good. He was the person I kept at arm’s length, not realizing that for years, I was living an illusion by delegating parts of my life to God. He wanted all of it.
LIFE INTERRUPTED
There is not much time to put all of my testimony in this article. I do not remember when change began for me. I know it was gradual. It did not happen all at once. God’s pursuit of having a relationship with me took time. Yes, I believed that God truly wanted to show me His goodness and mercy. However, I had to change my heart to seek His Righteousness instead of my own. In the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 28, God told the Israelites at least four different times not to turn away from His teachings. He did so before He went through the long list of curses they would endure if they turned away from Him. I am more aware that repentance is necessary, and as a believer in Christ, I am held responsible for pursuing God and living a life that will bring Him glory.
Pursuing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ will come with costs. However, I found that pursuing life my own way only separated me from Jesus more instead of bringing me closer. You are probably wondering as you read this what repentance means, so let me explain. Repentance is a change of mind, a complete turn from old ways of thinking, and committing your heart to God’s Will for your life. The commitment can only come through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 32:8 states,” I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving Eye upon you.
God will freely instruct, guide us, and watch over us. However, what I came to understand and am reminded of is this: The surrender to His Will begins with the believer in Christ. The pursuit of righteousness is active and has never been nor will ever be an inactive response. 1 John 3:9 ( Amplified Version): No one who is born of God (deliberately, knowingly, habitually) practices sin, because God’s seed(His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character)remains(permanently) in him(who is born again_ who is reborn from above-spiritually transformed, renewed and set apart for His purpose); and he (who is born again)cannot habitually(live a life characterized by) sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him.
Now, let me cover a few points as they pertain to this scripture. As a believer decides to make Jesus their Lord and Savior, The Holy Spirit actively transforms your mind and heart, strengthening your spirit. Thus, believers can actively pursue living their lives for God’s purposes with great passion to please Him through faith. We have the free will, yes. However, at some point, a decision must be made to make a habit out of pursuing the things of God and not the things of this world. 2 Corinthians 5:14 explains that our love for Christ should compel us to live for Him and no longer live for ourselves. Why? God adamantly proved He loved us because He worked through Christ to reconcile us to Himself to cancel our sins (2 Corinthians 5:19). As I write this today, I can honestly say pursuing God’s righteousness was the best decision I ever made. I am constantly in awe of Him. I love God’s Word. I went from a girl who read it sporadically to a woman who searches it relentlessly. As you read this article, I pray you, too, will understand that pursuing righteousness is possible by partnering with God.
A Simple Prayer for the Reader
Father God,
I pray for the person who will read this will know that True righteousness starts with You. Lord Jesus, show them tangible evidence that You want nothing more than to make Your Home with them in their hearts. Lead them in finding Joy in Your Salvation.