I remember when I was a young kid we used to play a game on the playground, boys chase girls.  It may or may not have been a precursor of things to come in our lives.  There was one girl who was faster than all the boys and we also thought she was the cutest.  I finally caught her one day and thought, now what?  Our nature as humans is to chase after and pursue things in our life.  Maybe we pursue success, wealth, achievement, popularity, glory, or perhaps we pursue things of faith.  Paul encourages Timothy in this direction.  Let’s look at his words together today.  

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

We tend to chase after that which is most important to us.  Success, wealth, achievement, popularity, fame, none of that is bad.  It can be a blessing.  It’s only when we chase after that instead of what God tells us we truly should be pursuing, righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.  This is what we need to be chasing after in life.  When we pursue the things of faith we tend to be content with our other circumstances no matter what they may be.  My prayer is that we would all pursue Jesus and the things of faith in out lives. 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave