I have just finished reading ‘The Pursuit of God’ by AW Tozer, and to say it rocked my world would be an understatement!
It’s one of those old books which aren’t always easy to understand, put there was just something about it that I could put it down.
In a world where people are constantly on the pursuit for something I honestly believe we forget to pursue God. I think of church leaders for example; we pursue the next big thing, we pursue multi site, church growth, leadership, creativity, church planting, the best show in town, small groups, social justice, youth ministry, kids ministry, direct mail, big events and so many others things. In fact whatever you want to pursue there’s a conference or a network you can attend to help you in your pursuit.
However, how many of us are really pursuing God? How many of us lie in bed at night wondering how we can get closer to God or increase our intimacy of God? How many of us wake up in the morning realizing that before we can achieve we must search? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself.
The church seems to be getting bigger, our effects seem to be successful and our models seem to be working, but at what cost?
If our number one pursuit isn’t a personal yearning and longing for the one we call Yahweh then all our effcets may bring ‘success’ here on earth, but we may find they just rang as loud noisy empty cymbols in heaven.
Lord, help me to be a man who before I do anything else learns how to pursue you. Let you word, your character, your statutes and your truth be my number one aim. Not fame, not recognition, not success or anything else this world pushes us to pursue, but let my life’s pursuit be you! As the deer yearns after the water when it’s thirsty, let my soul sing a song of never ending pursuit of you. Amen.
