From time immemorial, humans have been straying away from God. In modern times, it may be trying to get out of going to church or Sunday school, saying “I’ll do my bible reading and praying later,” or simply just ignoring the voice and direction of God so that we can be free to do our own thing. We have been struggling in our walk with Christ since the beginning of time.
Why are we this way? Why does it take so much effort and intention for us, as humans, to follow Christ? The answer is in the question, it’s just that we are “human.” There is no part of us that wants to sacrifice what we want to do things God’s way. We don’t want to miss out on certain friends, events, and pleasures to live a disciplined life. This is why God is always in pursuit of us. He wants to capture us and have His Holy Spirit live in us so that we will desire His good will for our lives.
But, even in the Bible days – and even those who walked with Christ, have been known to run away from God.
Bible Characters Who Struggled in Their Relationship With God
- The beloved King David – was distracted by his own lusts and caught up in sin, more notably adultery and murder. God used Nathan the prophet to arrest David in his wrongdoing and, as a result, David cried out for repentance and God restored him unto Himself.
- The renowned apostle Paul – wanted nothing to do with the Gospel of Christ during the early part of his life. He very publicly and viscerally persecuted the Church. But Jesus still cared enough about Paul to meet him and capture him for the great work he would do in the kingdom of God. God referred to Paul as His chosen instrument. That same Paul became, arguably, the greatest apostle in the history of the world.
- The passionate disciple Peter – best known for denying Jesus three times before our Savior was crucified. Afterward, the scripture says that Peter wept bitterly. This shows Peter’s regret and feelings of guilt. He probably thought what he had done was unforgivable and that Jesus would never accept him again. But Jesus later went in pursuit of Peter and brought him back as a part of the Early Church. Even though Peter denied Jesus, Jesus never denied Peter. Instead, he used him on the day of Pentecost to deliver a powerful sermon that would convert 3,000 people.
- And, my personal favorite, Jonah – he was called by God to preach a message of repentance but chose to flee in the opposite direction of where God was sending him only to be swallowed up into the belly of a great fish. But God brought Jonah back into alignment with His divine plan.
I’m glad I didn’t have to get lost inside of a fish before I obeyed the call to start this blog. 😅
Nevertheless, like Jonah and the others, for some reason, we often make decisions that cause us to be swallowed up by life because we deny God. But in every circumstance, we see that God remains intent on capturing us, arresting us with his mercy and grace, and showing us that no matter what mistakes we make, we are not irredeemable.
Called to a Life of Holiness
We see over and over again in the Bible that God goes out of His way to save those who may be lost or losing their way. Jesus even uses the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin to demonstrate that no single person is of less value to God than the others. In fact, the purpose of Him coming to Earth was to ‘seek and to save those who are lost.’
However, God is not looking to force us into a relationship with Him. He doesn’t want us to only be captured in the sense of being arrested or corrected for our wrongdoings, but to also be captivated. He longs for those who are open to his influence and are willing to become more like Him. As our Father, it is His will that we grow to resemble Him more with each passing day. He made us in His image and likeness to let us know that His holy standard is attainable for us.
And so we are instructed in Ephesians chapter four to, “… no longer live as sinners … alienated from God … due to hardness of heart … given to sensuality [and] greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Instead, we must, ‘put off our old selves, which … is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” This is God’s will for each and every one of us.
God is still chasing you!
Read next: How Strong Faith in God Can Change Your Life
