I was reminded this morning of a responsibility placed on me with a God given desire that I am equipped with. What many of you may not know is I have a desire to write, as lacking as my skill may be (English was my worst subject in school) the desire is there, nonetheless. I’ve set aside that desire because of an unintentional pursuit based off an opportunity He (God) has given me. As good and beneficial as my opportunity may be, my desire has taken a back seat to it. The responsibility in this desire are the things I choose to write about, they are not only my testimonies of God’s goodness but the wisdom he shares with me almost daily. That is when I am not distracted by the pursuits of that day. Yes, I have a responsibility to share wisdom that is given, because wisdom not shared can be ineffective and selfish by not telling others around us. This thought led me to follow through with this post on what He was sharing with me this morning.
Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Many of us are consumed with the pursuit of "things". These pursuits may be intentional, or maybe not and the things we pursue are not necessarily material or tangible things either. It could be careers, prosperity, hobbies, gifts & talents, resolutions to situations & circumstances we find ourselves in. It could also be goals, desires, wants or even relationships. Our focus and our hearts could get fixated on our pursuits even if our pursuit was an opportunity given to us by God. These healthy and good opportunities could be turned against us by abandoning our focus on God. Don't become lukewarm and let the false perception of thinking everything is OK because we are simply pursuing what God gave us, while excluding Him or His direction in the process. This type of shifting focus can be dangerous if we lose sight of the “good pursuit’s” origin. Thus, making our pursuits tiring, unfruitful or even exhausting, so whether good or bad we must be careful.
The words "guard your heart" in Proverbs 4:23 in our lives, become increasingly broader as it does not only apply to the temptations that ensnare us or trip us up, but the healthy and good things in life as well. We must guard our hearts from “anything” that pulls us away from our identity and relationship with God our father. I have learned that there must be a great concentrated balance in our lives, our pursuits, and that relationship. We MUST protect our heart from being consumed by what can pull us away from that relationship. Incorporate God into your pursuits. Ask Him questions on how to approach and accomplish things we face in the journey, then Listen in silence for God to speak and give you your marching orders in your pursuits. By involving Him in the daily process you’ll find that instead of running after it alone tiring yourself out, you can walk with Him in peace with how He directs you. Remember, He has a warehouse (read “Heavens Warehouse” blog) full of solutions for us.
Lastly, understand that He (God) is pursuing you, He is pursuing a relationship with you, no matter what you are pursing (Good or Bad). Whether you are ignoring Him, even denying Him, He purses you. Nothing will remove His love for you, nothing. He is never forceful, He is not controlling, yet He always close by no matter how hard, how fast we run to those things we pursue.
Philippians 4:7 - Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
My word of advice today is “STOP!” Simply stop what you are chasing, pursing for a moment and turn around to face the Father and be the Son or daughter you are and then, rest there.
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