Spiritual Formation 10/12/2021 10:21:00 PM Shannon O'Brien

WHAT ARE YOU PURSUING?

What are you pursuing?

As athletes, coaches, people of sport, we are all pursuing something. Is it a championship? Is it playing time? Is it a starting position? Is it climbing the ladder in your career? But what about as a Christ follower? What virtues are you chasing, and why?

In Scripture, Paul exhorts his mentee Timothy to pay attention to what he is to pursue in life, and his words struck me. In 1 Timothy 6:11 Paul says, "But you, person of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness."

To "pursue" in this passage of Scripture means "to chase after aggressively," like that of a lion chasing after a gazelle. Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness, are the six virtues we are to pursue aggressively, like chasing after them with the intent to fully capture them. This sounds incredibly athletic, but if I am honest, I am not naturally inclined to pursue these virtues like a lion chasing after a gazelle; I am more inclined to hope I catch them like fishing for a bass in a large lake. Paul exhorted Timothy, he didn't just suggest it as a hope, he commanded him as a mentor in Christ, and told him, "Timothy, pursue (chase after) these six virtues!"

As I read this verse, I felt compelled by Paul's mentorship, and I was curious as to what each of these words meant in the Greek text of Scripture and in unpacking their deeper meaning in the text, this is what I found:

Righteousness
Paul's exhortation to pursue righteousness is telling Timothy (and us) that we are to pursue conformity to God's will, yielding our free will to God's will, allowing God's will to form and inform our purpose with thought and action. Romans 12:2 helps to reiterate this exhortation from Paul, "do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." We are called to take captive our thoughts before the knowledge of Christ. We are to pursue God's will – His divine approval - to inform our thoughts and actions and to help us discern our purpose in His Kingdom and how we choose to live out our lives.

Godliness
Pursuing godliness means that we are to chase after being devoted to God, and having reverence for God and the things of God. With this, obedience and trust are two sides of Godliness. We struggle to trust God in our fleshly (sinful) nature. We struggle to obey God and His commands in our fleshly nature. To pursue godliness is to be obedient and trust God as we live into His will and not our own. We are to chase after being obedient to God and His ways, to trust that His ways are truly life giving, and to then see how God is faithful to us in this pursuit.

Faith
We are to pursue coming to trust God more in our lives. God births faith in the receptive believer. We are to chase after seeking to see Him and His presence in our lives. Pursuing faith is something that we do through yielding to God and asking Him to show Himself to us. Faith is God's Divine persuasion in our lives. When we see His revelation in our everyday life, faith is developed and deepened in us. Ask Him to revel Himself and His love for you, ask Him to help you overcome your unbelief.

Love
We are to pursue agape love, the kind of love that is described as taking action in spite of how we might be treated. Our actions of "agape" love that are helpful in goodwill, benevolent, and kind towards others help to cultivate the hearts of people to receive God's great love for them. Jesus' life is this kind of love for all of creation. We are commanded by Jesus to love, to agape others. Ask God to give you eyes to see others like Jesus does, so that they too can grow to see Jesus and His care for them in and through you.

Endurance
Endurance means to remain under challenges, tolerate delays, problems, or suffering while remaining hopeful. We are to be faithful and dependable. This is perhaps a tough truth to read, but refreshing too. Endurance as athletes we all know takes focus, discipline, intentionality, and a willingness to do the hard work that is uncomfortable. We as Christ-followers are exhorted to endure the tension of living in the "now and the not yet," meaning, we are to endure the challenges, tolerate the delays and suffering that sin has caused, and in that, also remain hopeful in the reality that the victory is already achieved in Christ and that He will return.

Gentleness
Gentleness means "power under control." We are to pursue being a gentle force led by the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives. God is like the sunrise. So much power in the light and warmth of the sun, and yet it gently and faithfully rises every day illuminating the day and offering balance, warmth, energy, and light to all of creation. We are to chase after gentleness, living lives that are empowered by His Holy Spirit so that others too may warm up to seeing the goodness of God in their lives as well.

So, let me ask you again, what are you pursuing? What are you aggressively chasing after in your life? What are you chasing after in your spiritual life in Christ?

Sport is an incredible platform to invite others into knowing God, being known by Jesus, and being empowered by His Holy Spirit. So, let's do as Paul exhorted Timothy, and collectively and individually use our athletic arena's that reveal coaches and players, directors and administrators chasing after living lives submitted to God and His ways, seeking to see God and His activity in our everyday living. Let's chase after submitting our will to God's good and perfect will and live lives empowered by Jesus's love to redeem and reconcile creation back to God. Let's remain hopeful as we endure the tension of the "now and the yet" as His Holy Spirit powerfully illuminates God's steady faithfulness in all of our lives and His Kingdom come. Let's live in such a way, that people can't help but notice the goodness of God and have faith birthed and strengthened in them. This is an incredible calling, and invitation to us all. How powerful that our sports can be a platform for this kind of living to be witnessed in and through the roles we have in athletics. After-all, it is the greatest crown we can pursue, and the ultimate championship we can experience in having victory through Christ!

Questions for reflection:

What is the most difficult virtue in 1 Timothy 6:11 for you to chase after and why?
How can pursuing excellence in sport be coupled with pursuing these six virtues in your life?
What do you need from God today?
Where do you need God to strengthen your faith in Him and grow your trust in His care for you (and others)?

Pray: Lift these things to the Lord, ask Him to help you see His divine activity in your life and strengthen your trust in Him in all aspects of your life. Ask Him to help you be a sign post to Jesus and a vessel for Him to operate in and through for His Kingdom through sport.

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WHAT ARE YOU PURSUING?