Chasing the Kingdom

Jesus told a story that went something like this:

Jim owned a small but lucrative painting business. One day a real estate agent called him to paint a vacant house both inside and out. It was not a great house nor a great neighborhood and Jim wondered how much the painting would help. Nevertheless, he took the job and began the next day. That afternoon, Jim began to work inside. He looked in one of the closets and he found something, something of enormous value. He had to have it and he began to formulate a plan.

That night he got home he began to make some calls. He sold his business to his competitor. He put his house up for sale. He even sold his car.

He raised all the money that he could so he could buy that unpainted house in the bad neighborhood. The real estate thought Jim was nuts when he heard the story, but not Jim. Jim ran as fast as he could to his new house. He jumped around the house and danced with joy. He had nothing else to his name but he had enormous treasure.

Jesus wants us to go after Him and His kingdom like Jim. He wants us to run after the treasure. He wants us to rejoice when we have it. He wants us to seek Him with all that we have. He wants us to give up everything for Him, and if we do, we will receive an enormous treasure.

Often when we talk about the kingdom and our quest for it, we speak about seeking His kingdom. Jesus used that language in the Sermon on the Mount. He wants us to seek His kingdom instead of seeking the kingdom of the world. He promises us that if we seek His kingdom first, then all other things will be given to us as well.

But the image of Jim running after his new treasure is different. He didn’t care what the others thought. He had his eyes on the prize and he knew he was the smarter man for it. He wasn’t just seeking the kingdom. He was running after the kingdom. He was chasing the kingdom.

Chasing the kingdom. I love that phrase. It is what I want to be about. I do not want to casually seek the kingdom. I want to go hard after it because Jesus went hard after me. I want to see where He is at and chase after Him. I do not want to chase after the things of the world but chase after the things of God. I want to watch Jesus run and I want to chase Him.

Chasing the kingdom. Chasing the prize. Chasing God.

I want to live like Jim, Lord. Please give me the strength to do it.