The Chase

What ever happened to the chase?

I vividly remember coming home from school one day in tears in the first grade, because a boy chased me across the playground and pulled off my jacket. I didn’t understand why he would be so mean or what I had done to merit this behavior. And I remember by mom’s response. Three words: He likes you.

What?! Why?! How could this possible?! How could something so mean and tear-inducing mean that little boy liked me?

I think the world is still like this today, but a piece is missing. See today, we have the mean habits {aka taking the jacket} but have lost the most important thing: the chase.

The chase goes so much further than just those fun days on the playground. The chase started in Genesis, when God wanted to connect with Adam and Eve. God asked for their obedience but chased after their hearts. And still today, He is unrelenting in His pursuit of our hearts.

So why can’t we embody this in our relationships?

We have come so far from “dating” that I wouldn’t even know how to define it anymore. We live in a world full of instant gratification and disconnection. I can guarantee you everyone in my generation has asked the question, “but what does that like mean?” We have to analyze the double tap of a finger?! Ridiculousness. We can’t respond to a text too immediately without seeming desperate. We cannot be the ones to text first. And yet, we still crave that attention. I am very much guilty of this, because I am also a people-pleaser. {yes, a very toxic combination}

But guys, you’re no different. You cannot ask a girl on a proper date, so you text to “hang out”. You can’t take a girl on more than one date function or else she may get the wrong idea. You can’t commit to one girl or pursuing some sort of relationship, because there are so many other options thrown in your face through the thousands of instagram pictures thrown in your face each day.

Where did we lose the chase? What happened to running into the open arms our our Savior? What happened to the boy asking the girl to dinner and a movie and waiting at the door with flowers? These are simple, and honestly small gestures of the big piece we’re missing. If our God first loved us and gave us the privilege of honoring him in the way we love others, where did we take such a wrong turn? When did we forget to love the way He loves us.

Let me get on my soapbox about relationships for a second {or two}.

Girls: You deserve more. Don’t settle. The PERFECT Savior of the World died for you. He suffered to give you life eternal in the riches of Heaven. He bled on a cross just to have your heart. We ignore Him, turn the other cheek, and look for instant gratification, and still, STILL, He CHASES after us. No matter our faults. No matter our mistakes. No matter the failures. He pursues you and seeks your heart. He wants to know you in the depths of your being, because He has a purpose and plan for your life. {Jeremiah 29:11} He wants to enter into a personal relationship with you.

He also created a man that will lead you further into the arms of Christ. He created a man to be your partner in ministry, whatever that looks like. He created a person to love you just second to Him, the author of the Universe. He created a person that will PURSUE you, because that glorifies Him. We enter into relationships to be a reflection of His love here on Earth. The Lord’s love does not play games. The Lord’s love is honest, patient, kind, free from jealousy, and so so much more. {1 Corinthians 13:4}. The Lord does not make you wait for a text or to see what kind of “mood” he’s in today. Don’t settle, because there is someone out there that will pursue you. And that, my dear, is whom you deserve.

Guys: Give it up. It’s not funny or even cute anymore. It’s not worth it. Deep down if you are seeking the Lord, you know you want more. In your deepest of hearts, you want a Proverbs 31 woman. A woman who loves Jesus and will be willing to follow you to the ends of the earth. She will love you unconditionally and wholeheartedly until the end of time, because Her Savior first loved her. Stop playing the games. The Lord your God gave you a distinct purpose on this earth to further His Kingdom. He also created a partner so that you would not have to do it alone. Just as Adam needed Eve, you need that partner who will support you in prayer and in encouragement. You are a spiritual leader. Act like one. Be honored by the responsibility that the Lord Your God so faithfully endowed to you. He loves you enough to chase after your heart. Be a faithful servant. Honor him in the way you treat His creation.

First, chase the Lord with all of your heart. Then, pursue her. She is a divine creation of the One True King and deserves the utmost honor and respect. Take her on a date. Pick her up, pay for her meal, and spend your time listening in order to truly know her heart. Lead her back to the cross. Faithfully serve Him above all else, then serve her. You will be rewarded with the greatest gift on this side of Heaven.

Let’s all remember, Our Lord first chased us. He calls us worthy even when our hands are dirty. He pursues us day in and day out, wanting nothing more than our hearts. Let’s chase him first and then honor each other and our Lord in how we love.

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