Are You Running the Race?

So I was reading some of 2 Chronicles today, and I came across this very simple verse.


"He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD." ~2 Chronicles 12:14


This is speaking about King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Under the reign of Solomon, Israel flourished and the Lord was with them, but that changed under the power of Rehoboam. He was not as wise as his father was. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. That might leave you wondering how he could do such a thing after seeing how God provided for his father and the kingdom of Israel. Even after fully experiencing God's blessings, he turns away. This is where that verse comes into play. He was not actively "seeking the Lord." The reason that this really stuck out to me is because I see it as a big problem today. It is not enough to declare God's glory once. It is not enough to go to church once a week and expect a loving relationship with God and for all to be well and dandy. It is true that God has freely loved us, but the Bible has also said to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." (Luke 10:27) How can one say that they love God as described in that verse if they aren't actively seeking him out?


People today don't seek God out because they take it as an inconvenience to their lives. They are too busy, or maybe unwilling to sacrifice certain things that the Bible teaches (such as money and time). They say they love God, but at the same time, they are trying to find their happiness in the world instead of with God. 


The way I see it and as Francis Chan describes in his book "Crazy Love," life is like a downward escalator. You are either moving up or down, towards God or away from God. By just going through the motions, you aren't actively moving away from God yourself, but you are nonetheless being dragged down. The ONLY way to move closer to God is to be actively seeking him by running up the escalator. At times you will meet people on the way down the escalator. They will try to grab you and pull you down with them, but you must focus on the goal that is pleasing and getting closer to God, or better yet, when you meet one of those people going down, try to grab hold of them and bring them up with you. When you see someone struggling help them out. That is what it's all about.


I don't know if you've ever tried running up a downward escalator, but it can be difficult. Fatigue can and will set in eventually. At that moment we might reach for gatorade or a protein bar to fuel us to keep going. God has provided us with everything we need for the journey. He has given us the gift that is the Bible and prayer to fuel us to continue to run toward him. The simple fact is that one cannot actively seek out God without spending time in Scripture and in prayer everyday. You will burn out without it. 


Keep your eyes on the prize and NEVER stop running!