"Flee" and "Pursue"

What do these verbs have in common? One thing comes to mind; they are both highly active verbs. To "flee" or to "pursue" requires not only INTENTIONAL but CONTINUOUS effort of the subject. Unlike sitting or watching or walking or eating or even driving, these activities cannot be done semi consciously but require the full attention and commitment of the doer. Also, notice that both of these verbs are driven by strong motivators; we either flee from "something" or pursue "something". Consider that as you read the verse below.

2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." NKJV

Now does that describe you or me as a Christian?

FLEE

The picture above accurately depicts what it means to flee; run away with absolute terror. Have you ever seen a scared African take off on his heels? Get the picture? Yeah, that should be our response to youthful lusts. However, that is typically not the case. We flirt with lust. Play with it, wondering just how far we can go without "technically" sinning. Forgetting that sin is much more than the action, but the state of the heart. We cannot afford to be indifferent to carnal temptations. Or to think we are strong enough to handle them. Paul was addressing Timothy...a powerful servant of God...yet Paul did not say "Withstand", he said "Flee".

PURSUE

Consider how we pursue educational, career and other worldly goals. Consider how a man in love pursues the object of his affection. Passion, tenacity, commitment, consistence and hard-work are just a few words that describe such true pursuit. However do those characteristics describe our Christian lives? We often just sit back and expect these things like peace and love and righteousness to happen in our lives. If all we had to do was pray and do nothing else, I don't think the Bible will use the word "pursue" (See Hebrews 12:14). Pursuing requires active participation and conscious effort on our side. Effort to make those choices that show what our priorities truly are (Galatians 6:7-8). True, we cannot bear fruit by our own strength, but we can make decisions everyday that enable the Holy Spirit to work and bring out these things in us.

God help us.