The Pursuit of...

Normally, I like to close my posts by asking you questions, or giving you challenges, but today I want to open with one: what sets your soul on fire?

Dramatic phrasing? Maybe. But a beautiful question? Absolutely.

I have always loved that quote, and that's why it's at the bottom of all of my posts; I feel like asking yourself that is another way of evaluating what you're passionate about, and being passionate is something I've talked a lot about lately, which is why I want to focus on the first part of that statement:

Be fearless in pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.

That pursuit part kind of gets us doesn't it? Not just knowing what you care about, but chasing after it in a unrelenting manner. I think our world has a tendency to get pursuit misconstrued though. We look around us and see that we should be pursuing our best selves, pursuing a relationship, pursuing happiness, pursuing success, and pretty soon we are pursuing so many things that we've lost track of what even set our souls on fire, and have run ourselves ragged on the hamster wheel of life. I've been there, I've done that, I still get caught up in it sometimes. We all do, because we live in a broken world, and as a Christian it can be particularly hard. We want to pursue forgiveness, and love, and our purpose, and our relationship with the Lord, and while all good things individually, too much can end up being a bad thing. We let our loves of this world become idols, and put the most basic thing of all- a relationship with the Lord- on the back burner.

Revelation 3:15-17 says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." And this is exactly what I'm talking about!

I don't know how many of you have tried to start a fire, but it can be a very trying task. If the wood is too damp, or the wind too strong, or something is not placed perfectly, then you won't get a flame. No amount of sparks or matches will make that fire become a blaze, and in a life or death circumstance, you will freeze to death. That's what we do when we try to pursue this world; to be within, and of it, and above it, or below it. We get so caught up in the attempt to start up fires in our souls that they fizzle out. But here's the coolest thing about building a fire in the 21st century: there are things called fire starters. This little material that you can put in a fire, so that almost instantly you will have a roaring flame. Jesus is our fire starter, and he always has been- no 21st century product needed.

So ask yourself: what are you pursuing today? We were called to be in this world, but not of it, and when we get that simple statement confused it can create idols in our lives that will put out our fires before we even realise we are cold. God was never lukewarm for you. He was, is, and always will be, passionately in pursuit of you. No matter your mistakes, you are what sets Him on fire, so much so, that He sent His only son to die for you. That is love, but most importantly, that's pursuit.

If you've gotten caught up in the rat race of life, then know that it's never too late to turn back to God! Go ahead and lay down the matches, you don't need to keep fighting with the little sparks that never truly satisfy. If you've never had a relationship with God, then it's never too late to start one, and my email is always open!

Wishing everyone a cozy Friday by a fire...

-Emma

"Be fearless in pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."