The Danger of the Chase
Any person in this world who values life and wants to make this life count, chases after something while they are alive. I use the term chase here loosely. Some people call it a drive, some call it a passion or following after a cause. If your an athlete you chase after the next win, the next opponent, or the next championship. If your a professional and have a promising career you chase after the next project or promotion. If your a stay at home mother, you chase after your children (sometimes literally) doing the right thing and training them to be good citizens. In my own life, I have chased after a lot of things. At a young age it was my to buy my first car. In high school, it was the right girlfriend. In college, it was good grades and influence over people. Nearing the end of college it was to get plugged into the right ministry or location that I knew God wanted me. Recently in life I was chasing after a promotion at work. I want this post to be helpful for those who are in the chase and also provide some words of caution.
1. Don’t let the chase consume you
There are a couple of sides to this point. One of the lessons I have been learning a lot lately is this, I am so much more than what I do. Many of us find our identity in our jobs, hobbies, or social groups. Those things may describe what I do but they do not define who I am as a person. The other thing is, for a lot of my generation they could stand to have the chase consume them a little more. Many of them are wrapped up in video games, frat parties, or social media stardom (as if that’s a definable thing) and could stand to let something, ANYTHING, motivate them to action and responsibility. But for those of you overachievers out there, in the midst of the chaos remember to stop and watch the sunset, make a friend, have a conversation apart from your cause, it will be worth it. The last part of this is the fact that often in the middle of the chase all we are thinking about is what we do when we have “caught” the thing we are chasing, the promotion, the win, ect… Stop and truly realize all the things you are learning and how you are growing in the pursuit of that thing you want. This is where the true magic lies.
2. Don’t forget your priorities
This point is really tough because this is where a lot of us win or lose, and when I say lose I mean normally we lose what we care most about.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? — Matthew 16:26
The internet and Youtube is littered with stories about wall-street billionaires who discarded their family or friends just to acquire a beach-front property in the Hamptons, but this can happen to anybody if we are not careful. About a year ago my job required me to switch locations, same company, same position, just a different geographical location. As I walked away from the four walls of that location I thought about all the hundreds of hours I poured into that building (meaning people) all the thought power and brainstorming of ideas, and all the energy I expounded. Now I am more than familiar with the concept of my influence staying and the impact I had on individual people’s lives, but for the most part, when I walked away I left all that behind. The sobering thought in that moment was that no matter where I go in life, no matter what position I hold, at the end of the day I have my family and my faith and that’s it. So in the midst of this chase, I cannot forget, and I challenge you to never forget either your true priorities.
3. Remember to celebrate
As we wrap up this conversation, this last point, remember to celebrate, I believe is so important. I find myself going into the conquer syndrome. Let me define what I mean by this. For me this is often the process…
- Find the thing you want to chase
- Chase after it
- Catch/acquire it
- What’s next?
In a way in my mind, enough is never enough, what once satisfied my yesterday bores me today, I am always in the pursuit of more. In Philippians 4:11, the Bible says,
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
That word content is always a tough one for me, it means to be in a constant state of satisfaction. There is a huge danger of chasing so hard after something that when you acquire it you move onto the next thing so quickly that you don’t take time to celebrate the win. This shows up even in practical to-do items throughout the week. I don’t know about you but I form my to-do list by brainstorming things into my inbox, organizing items into a project, and then assigning dates to get things done. But when the week is over, things are checked off your list, take the time to review all you’ve done. This step is not only to get a since of accomplishment but also to review how you budgeted your time throughout the week.
In closing, let’s review the key points…
- Don’t let the chase consume you
- Don’t forget your priorities
- Remember to celebrate
