Pursue Christ

Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Proverbs 21:21

I wish I had known this verse during my college dating years. I pursued boyfriends and a husband instead of righteousness and love! I used to call home and tell my mother that I thought this guy or maybe that guy must be “the one”! We laughed together many years later when we were reminiscing about the time I said, “He must be the one. He is the most like Jesus of any man I have dated.”

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received as a young adult came from Melanie Alquist in a talk she gave to college students on dating relationships. She said, “Flee the physical. Pursue Christlike love as you would in any friendship. Do not pursue marriage!” She encouraged us to focus on our own personal relationships with Christ and let Him lead us toward the life and love He knows would be best for us.

To pursue means “to chase, seek, hound, track, or stalk.” Wow. Those words are loaded with action. Whether we are married or single, dating or going solo, we are wise to ask ourselves how assertively we are pursuing righteousness and unfailing love. If we’re looking for wholeness from any other source than Christ, then we are using up vital time and emotions pursuing less than God’s best for our life.

Sure, we all need love. Many women desire marriage, and God created that relationship of oneness to be a beautiful reflection of His abiding, sacrificial love for His church. But pursuing Him and His heart of righteousness and unfailing love needs to take priority. Those blessings can be found only in Christ. He is our source of wholeness; we are incomplete without Him.

It’s an astounding revelation that Jesus pursued us first. Let that truth settle in your spirit for a few minutes. Bask in the knowledge that you are His cherished treasure and He is committed to you for eternity.

Let’s pursue Jesus because He is Righteousness and Love! He is the perfect Pursuer of our hearts. Choose a quiet place to spend a few minutes meditating on today’s verse.