Drifting

He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

1 Peter 3:11

I watched my husband and our daughter paddle out into the surf in a kayak. They moved through the water to look at the array of fish under them. At times they stopped paddling, but they did not stop moving. Sometimes they drifted further away from where they wanted to go. It required intentional effort to move in the right direction. To go where they wanted to go, they had to pursue it. Just drifting was not going to be enough.

Our Christian walk requires intentional effort, too. Just like any relationship, you have to put in some time. Some days the effort seems like work, and other days the effort feels more like a gift. No effort will only get you further in the direction you didn’t intend on going.

A friend of mine once told me that your relationship with God cannot be static. You are either moving forward, or you are moving backward. Just like in a current, you won’t stay in the same place. God loves us so much that he doesn’t force us into anything. He wants it to be our choice to pursue Him. Doesn’t it feel good when someone chooses you? I think our Father delights in us in a similar way. It warms His heart when you choose to be with Him, when you pursue Him.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

Are you paddling toward a closer relationship with Christ? If you are not, you are drifting in the wrong direction. Just like the kayak, you will either be moving forward with intention, or you are drifting away.

God has so much in store for you. There are many benefits to His love and His qualities you can enjoy, like peace, hope, and joy. The best part is that you get Him. All of this comes as a result of pursuing Christ. No drifting, let’s chase Him.

Julie Smith