True Life

Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Proverbs 21:21 (NLT)

Have you ever seen dog track racing? Most likely, you haven’t. If you have, maybe it was a small scene in a movie or tv show. Here’s the gist of it. Trainers find the fastest dog that they can (Greyhound dogs tend to be the favorites). At race time, each dog is put in a small cage at the starting line to the race track. The track itself is just a big dirt track like we have here at the school. However, this track features something unique. It has a mechanical bunny. Yup, you read that right – a mechanical bunny. When the starting pistol for the race fires, the doors to the cages fly wide open, and the mechanical bunny takes off around the track. The dogs, their instinct is to chase, take off after it. Of course, the bunny is programmed not to be caught. As the dogs rocket around the track in search of their prey, they cross the finish line, the bunny goes into his safe little hole, and a race king is crowned. The crowd cheers. The dogs are all frustrated they didn’t catch the bunny.

Sometimes, people paint the Christian faith like a dog track. No, there’s no bunny. However, often times, we are taught (one way or another) that we must constantly pursue perfection. And, only when we attain it, will God love us. This, of course, is complete nonsense. God loves everyone as they are right now.

However, there is a small piece of truth to it. We are to pursue. But, what are we to pursue? In a word: Jesus.

Our pursuit of Jesus doesn’t mean we chase as He runs away. Instead, our pursuit of Him is in seeking a deeper relationship, a greater understanding of who He is and who we are to Him. As our verse today states, “Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life.” I will add a little bit to this verse. (I know, we aren’t supposed to add words to the Scripture, but this will make sense. Stop judging me!) When we pursue righteousness – which simply means to have right standing with God – we not only discover our own life, but we discover the Author of Life. When we seek after Jesus, He is found. As we pursue a deeper relationship, our lives have meaning, we experience life with the King of the Universe.