The chase

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).

I was watching my cat chase something the other day, and I got to wondering why objects in motion fascinate cats the way they do. I think it has to do with the thrill of the chase, the challenge of catching something that moves quickly and unpredictably.

In some ways, we’re like cats. We also find thrill in the chase. When playing together, children spend much of their time chasing each other. Some guys like it when a girl plays ‘hard to get’; it makes dating seem like pursuit. We love to watch ball games that turn into shoot-outs, but lose interest when one team completely dominates the other. When stores offer door-buster sales, early-bird shoppers feel good about beating everyone else to the best deal.

Why doesn’t church elicit the same kind of enthusiasm? On Sunday morning, I don’t see people rushing to get the best seat. Is it because Jesus has done all the work for us? When Christ died on the cross, His lifeblood washed away the stain of every bad thing you’ve done. When the Son of God stepped alive from the grave, He inaugurated a new way of thinking about death—that it is a temporary aggravation, not an eternal curse. In Jesus, God has solved our biggest problems—the corruption of sin and the decay of death. Thanks to the LORD, we don’t have to chase after satisfaction or security—the good life is His free gift to us.

Maybe knowing that Christ has done it all takes the thrill of the chase out of religion. Perhaps we’d be more interested in the outcome of life if it was uncertain, still up in the air. Personally, I am relieved to know that I have a place in God’s home as Jesus’ guest; I wouldn’t want to spend my life worrying that, in the end, I might fall short and be unwelcome in heaven when I die. I like having the security that Jesus gives to His forgiven people.

Christianity is hardly boring. The devil works tirelessly at getting in your way, distracting you, making you stumble and fall. He wants to you take your eyes off the prize. Don’t let Satan trick you into stopping when Christ has secured the prize for you.