“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” -‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This weekend was a watching weekend for me. I watched some pretty great things (such as my favorite Iron Man and the new racing movie F1) and some not great things (I have so many thoughts on Ironheart). But throughout all of those things I noticed something. 

As humans, we chase or give up.

We want the best things. We need to be the best, smartest, fastest, richest, friendliest, etc. We strive, push, and run for whatever -est we’re chasing. Though, sometimes this chase feels more like the game tag rather than a race. We barely reach or skim that -est before it moves away from us again. So then we keep running, keep going, trying to grab hold of the —est that so easily escapes our grasps. We blind ourselves to so much just to skim that prize.

Or we give up. We lose. Whether that be ourselves, whatever we’re chasing, others, and more. As if we played tag and fell, it seems no use in getting back up to continue. Now we’re blinded by loss. 

So then this begs the question, why strive if we can only skim or hold that —est before it’s gone? Why strive if we’re risking losing everything?

That is the money question, why.

Why do you want whatever you’re striving for? Why did you lose? Why do you keep moving? Why do you stay down? Why are you where you are? Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why, why, why…

Now whatever your answer is…it’s not going to change who God is. God is still going to love you, be faithful to you, strive to get you back to Him. And even if, you reject Him, He’s still there for and with you (just ask Peter and Judas). See, the beautiful thing about God is that while we are blinded by chase or loss, He is reaching for us. He is with us. He is with whatever we’re chasing. He is in whatever pit we feel lost in. He is wherever we’re stuck. God is here, waiting to show us something better than what we’re chasing and losing. He’s seen and works with how we strive, lose, and chase. Look at the stories of Esther, Joseph, and Daniel. 

Esther had to deal with being a captive and being thrown into a competition of beauty. Through God she won, but not just to be beautiful. She was put in the place where she could stand for her people. Joseph had to deal with the personal fight with his brothers of being the favorite of their father. Even when his brothers cheated and lied, selling Joseph as a slave where he had nothing, he was found in a position to save his brothers and father. Daniel was in exile, yet people saw the excellence God gifted him. That excellence didn’t just promote Daniel, it showed others the way to God.

That’s what God does. He shows us amidst the striving, the chasing, the losing, that there’s a better way. A way where why is simply, “I love God.” A way that is free from games. A way where the reward is already present and sure because the reward is God. A way that is in Him. The way of love, His love.

So what are you chasing? What are you losing? 

But most importantly, are you blinded by the chase? Blinded by the loss? Can you see what God is showing you?