Purposeful Pursuit

3/13/2024

Written By: April Mills

This past Sunday, I had the honor and privilege of witnessing the baptism of a special young man. My daughter’s boyfriend, Joe, had decided to make his profession of faith and be immersed in the waters of baptism. We attended the service of his home church, and all throughout the service references were made to the upcoming event. The excitement and joy were tangible and hung in the air like an electrical current. The congregation was definitely smaller than ours here at Victory, but my goodness, were they ever welcoming, kind and so very loving. It was truly moving to see the pure joy they had in their hearts for the Lord, and for this young man about to be baptized.

When the time came, Joe stood in the baptismal with his pastor, and gave his testimony. It was heartfelt, beautiful, and yes, of course I cried like a baby. For the record, it doesn’t matter if I know the person or not I will always weep at a baptism. It is such a sacred and holy moment when one is submerged in the water, and is raised up again. I could never begin to adequately describe the miracle of a new life beginning in Christ, it’s just beyond my ability. Romans 6 – 3 "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

After Joe gave his testimony, his pastor shared a few words of her own and reflected on her discussions she had with Joe regarding baptism. She made one statement in particular that really struck me at my core. She stated that when Joe came to her to discuss being baptized, he made the statement, “I just want to be a man of God”.

I just want to be a man of God.

It was such a powerful statement, and yet, there is a vulnerability and a humility within those words. How often do we make the declaration that we desire to be a man (or woman) of God? And I don’t just mean publicly, I mean within our own hearts. Let’s take it a step further-how often do we actively pursue what it means to be a man of God? Sure, we may come to church on Sunday, attend small group and may even serve in some manner or another. We may read the Bible and pray from time to time. All these things honor the Lord, and definitely aid in growing one’s faith, but I can’t say they are the hallmark signs of being a man of God.

The more I thought about this, I found myself thinking about the men of God I have known over the years. What set them apart and made them stand out as a righteous man? They don’t quote scripture at every turn, or make everything super spiritual. They are regular people, who have struggles and flaws like everyone else. Here is the difference; when I look at them, I can see that they intentionally point to and reflect the heart of the Savior. Their decisions are biblically based and hold themselves to a higher standard. They seek wisdom. They deliberately make choices that honor God. They are not passive in their pursuit of holiness, but it is an active engagement. They determine to be the example of righteousness to their households, their workplace, their friends and their circle of influence. Do they make mistakes? Sure. Do they stumble? Yes, they do and they will. But-they don’t let that stop them. They get up, and keep moving toward the goal. They are determined to chase the cross, no matter the cost or the difficulty.

Friend, we have to wake up from our slumber and be intentional. Let’s make purposeful movements toward righteousness. Let’s live in pursuit.