When God Relentlessly Pursues You

Over the weekend, Roy and I took a much needed break together to celebrate his birthday. We are in a season of unpredictable schedules, often working opposite hours so we don’t have much time together.

We had seen the trailers for the movie A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks, and it was on our list of things to do together. So, Saturday afternoon, we piled into the theater with a hundred other people.

I want to give a caveat here: This movie has a very sensitive nature, something we personally were not prepared for. Otto is a man who lost everything of value to him and in the process lost his purpose in life. He lost his hope. His only goal was to join his wife in death and end his suffering. The movie has multiple, graphic scenes of his attempts to end his life. Please know that if you choose to see this movie, you must be prepared to handle the topic of suicide.

But, what I found so touching about the movie was the many ways his plans were thwarted. The knock on the door. The neighbor’s emergency. The kid who needed a place to stay. Person after person, unknowingly interrupting his plans.

As I watched the scenes unfold before me, I couldn’t help but think about God’s relentless pursuit of His children. We are determined to do things our way, to follow our own plans. God knows what is best for us and blocks our way. He will stop at nothing to draw us back to Him. Time after time, He finds a way to draw us back to Him.

Can’t see it? Don’t feel like God is pursuing you? Here’s a few thoughts.

Open your eyes. Otto was so depressed that he couldn’t see the beauty around him. He couldn’t see the neighbors desperately trying to break down the walls, to give him a purpose for living. He couldn’t see how, even through his grumpy demeanor, the kind words he spoke changed lives. He couldn’t see the joy the stray cat brought him.

Sometimes, we are so focused on the wrong things–what we don’t have–that we miss the beauty around us. We miss the many things we have. We miss the ways God is trying to reach us. Sometimes, all we need to do is pause and ask for a new perspective, to see things through God’s eyes.

Be willing to receive. When Marisol, the new neighbor, first knocked on Otto’s door, he wasn’t receptive at all. She brought him food, and he reluctantly accepted it. She repeatedly dropped off small gifts, but Otto was unwilling to receive.

How often do we reject the goodness that is showered on us? How often do we deflect the well-meaning compliments of others? How often do we reject the gifts that others want to give us?

Has your love ever been rejected by someone? I’ve known people who had such a low view of themselves that they couldn’t receive the love of others; they didn’t believe they were worthy of love. All the gifts in the world are worthless unless the recipient actually chooses to receive the gift.

Galatians 5:19-21 describes the works of the flesh. In The Message, one line is translated as “an impotence to love or be loved.” Unless we have the capacity to receive love, we will never be able to find the joy in this life.

Seek your purpose. Did you know God created you for a purpose? For a specific purpose?

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Your purpose on this earth is to point the world back to God. That’s all of our general purposes, but there’s also an individual purpose. A purpose that is specific to you, your personality. My purpose is to help others hurting from the pain of adultery and divorce. My purpose is to share how God can take something as awful as divorce and use it for our good and His glory. My purpose is to guide others to a place of healing and hope.

What are you passionate about? Maybe God has given you the gift of being great with finances, and you get excited about helping others learn how to manage their money. Maybe you are a nurse or a doctor, and God has given you a passion to help others with their physical health. Maybe you love to help others train their physical body to be strong and healthy. Maybe you have been in the military and love to help other veterans navigate post-military life. Or maybe your life has been touched by suicide and you are a gentle place for those who are battling depression.

Your purpose is something that gives you a reason to keep going, something that gets you out of bed each day. It’s something that fills your heart with joy and gratitude. It’s something that just puts a smile on your face to know you have made a difference.

Otto’s purpose was his wife, or so he thought. His life had been wrapped up in caring for her. What he missed was that he also had purpose in his circle of influence. Others needed him. They needed his special gifts and talents. He had things to offer. When he realized he still had a purpose, he made peace with his life.

Get rid of bitterness. I don’t want to go too deep into the movie, but I will just say that Otto was angry. He lived in a state of bitterness. It wasn’t until he released the wrongs (or perceived wrongs) done against him that he began to find peace.

Things happen. We live in a fallen world where–quite honestly–there are some really ugly, awful people who hurt us deeply. I know what it is to be hurt, betrayed. I also know the absolute peace that comes through forgiveness and getting rid of bitterness. I don’t care what it is that has been done to you. You must let it go. That’s the only way to see God’s relentless pursuit of you.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of Godand that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

This life is hard. Sometimes it seems as if we just can’t go on. But, if you will open your eyes and be willing to receive, you will find your heart softening. You will find a new life, a new purpose. And you will see all the ways God has relentlessly pursue you.