Forsaking To Pursue

The morning after the Lord had shown me part of what He meant by "free," I had surfaced to about half wakefulness when into my head popped a passage with which you’re probably all familiar: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Aha! said I to myself. There it is! The concept, in black and white, that when we invest ourselves in what the Lord tells us to invest ourselves, He will give us ’bonus prizes.’

This same concept appears in Deuteronomy, when Moses gave the people the law. He told the people that if they obeyed the Lord, they would have good things coming out their ears (more or less). In fact, he said that good things would pursue them—if they pursued obedience to the Lord.

This is an amazing thing, and is one of the greatest tests of our faith in God that we’ll face. It is so easy to pursue the bonus prizes, and to find that we not only fail to attain the important things; we fail to attain the bonus prizes, too. For instance, I know people who pursue health; and I can’t help but notice how often they’re sick. I personally have pursued weight loss; and I have to admit there is nothing that provides me with more inspiration to overeat. I’ve observed individuals pursuing a particular relationship, only to discover that they lost other important relationships in the process, and never gained the relationship they were pursuing. A lot of people have pursued a hefty retirement savings … and it presently appears that their pursuit has been a waste of time and effort.

Just as I believe I can be married even though I am not called to marriage, and just as I believe that I can have children even though I’m not called to be a mother, so I believe that it is entirely acceptable to the Lord for us to have many good things. The difference is in what we seek after, and what seeks after us.

I’m allowed to ask the Lord for more clients—but I’m supposed to pursue the Lord, and put my energy into doing a good job for the clients I already have. I’m allowed to ask the Lord to enable me to attain a certain health, weight and fitness level—but I’m supposed to seek the Lord, and obey any and all instructions He gives me regarding lifestyle, diet and exercise.

You see, it really is true that we "have not" because we "ask not." Even if we fail to ask because we are trying to attain by our own works, we won’t have. If you have to rise up early, sit up late, or stress yourself out in order to have what you want, then you aren’t going about attaining it God’s way!

You forsake all else, to pursue God, and to obey Him. Then, for all else, you ask and receive.

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