The things of this world that used to captivate and intrigue me about others, like fancy houses or good-paying jobs or a ton of followers on Instagram, I hardly bat an eyelash at now. Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at pretty houses and think a good income can be important and acknowledge the significance of influence, but those details no longer get or keep my attention.
When I think of the type of man I desire to be married to, the first aspect that comes to mind is his chase.
One thing I love about God is how He redeems words and phrases in my life. Because before, when Hannah was doing her thing in the world and watching God from afar at the party, the chase was the most fascinating part to a relationship. As harsh and unsettling as that is to confess, I know many can relate. I know much of the world operates with this concept still and in areas outside of dating, too.
As of late, I’ve re-defined the chase I want.
When I meet a guy, my sharpest examination is on how he chases God. And this isn’t a source of judgment but rather protection because I know anyone who has my heart has my focus and if my focus isn’t directed back to Christ, I’m gonna end up running off some cliff into self-satisfaction and sufficiency. This isn’t to say that everyone needs to be killing it all the time (because I’m surely not), but if we think of it in running terms, looking for someone with an established pace is an important note to make. For someone to have a pace means that they’ve been running long enough to have a sustained speed. Life on Earth has a way of challenging our pace, so this will ebb and flow, but a desire to maintain one seems important to me.
I’ve had to evaluate a couple of guys recently in regards to dating. They’ve been great guys. They’ve loved God, and been nice to others and respectful to me. They’ve had great jobs and will make a woman very happy one day....But our speeds or finish lines or both look very different.
I want to be led to deeper relationship with God, not just knowledge of Him.
I want to be led by someone who knows God well enough to want Him to lead both of us.
These evaluations have provoked me to evaluate myself, as well. I tend to slow my pace when life gets heavy or quiet. I tend to jog my way through “simple times” or limp the straightaway after a full sprint through a valley.
So I know I need someone who desires to run fast after God— even after they trip, even after they take a wrong turn, even after they cramp up—because it’s all about the chase...and not the shoes.