Wind Chasers

Hello and Happy March! ????

I hope that you and those you love are doing well. Can you believe that we’re already into the 3^rd month of the year? I must say though, I’m happy winter is coming to a close.

March is an exciting month. It’s the beginning of spring. We get to set our clocks forward, enjoy longer days and more natural Vitamin D.

Also, March madness fans are gearing up for college basketball tournaments and animals are starting to wake up from hibernation.

Another significant characteristic specific to March is windy days. It’s a kite lovers perfect time of year.

Speaking of the wind, when it’s blowing, you can feel it but can’t see it. You can’t grab some of it and hold it in your hand. You can’t store it to use later, especially on a hot summer day when you need a good breeze. The same goes for things we chase thinking they will make us happier, richer, prettier, successful or famous. We never seem to quite lay hold of what we’re after, so we chase even more.

Have you ever wanted something so bad to finally get it and realize it’s not what you wanted at all? I sure have. Then disappointment sets in and you start the search all over again.

This month I want to discuss how our pursuit of fulfillment and happiness can cause us to “chase the wind.” We’re not satisfied with who we are, what we have, how we look, where we live, what we drive or who we know. We want bigger, brighter, shinier, newer, the upgrade, the latest and greatest. We have an insatiable appetite for more and more and more!

Let me be clear, I am all for evolving, achieving goals, enjoying our blessings and living in abundance God’s way. Christ died for all of that and we should experience it. However, those things also require a real relationship with God, discipline, sacrifice, character, and waiting on His timing. Wind chasers are unable to go through the process. They cannot and will not wait for anything they want. They are determined to make it happen, by any means necessary and consulting God first is not even a consideration.

 

Scriptural reference: Ecclesiastes 4:4&6 (NLT)

4. Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. 6. And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”

 

My definition of a wind chaser: someone who is never satisfied with who they are, what they have or what they’ve accomplished. They will go to any length to obtain more. It’s a never-ending pursuit of people, places and things.

The world will always be full of things that tempt you. Society has their own definition of beauty and success and will try to convince you that who you are or what you have is not enough. They define value by our possessions, prestige and position.  The TV, magazines and social medial platforms are full of photoshopped, airbrushed, and staged depictions of perfection, success, love and happiness. Most of what we see is not the real, raw or unfiltered truth. Behind the scenes and behind closed doors there’s a whole different story.

All day, every day, there is something or someone fighting for our attention, telling us what we should wear, how we should look and how to be more successful. You will always feel a pull to be more, do more and have more. Temptation is not going anywhere. So, it’s up to us to manage our thoughts and feelings by not allowing them to be in the driver’s seat.  We can’t buy into the lies of society or define ourselves by man’s standards.

Chasing creates an atmosphere of anxiety, fear of missing out, unhappiness, envy, depression and disappointment. It’s physically and mentally exhausting because you never quite catch what you’re after. Chasing causes you to destroy yourself and everything around you.

Wind chasers attempt to make it happen, at all costs, no matter who it hurts, or who they have to step on or step over. They are unable to delay gratification. They want it all and they want it now! They live from a place of excitement and thrill which is derived from the flesh.

However, happiness is very short lived with people who chase the wind. We weren’t designed to chase anything or anybody. God doesn’t even require that we chase him. So, if our lives are lived at a high rate of speed, it’s a total work of our flesh. And our flesh will never drive us towards anything good.

 

What are we Chasing?

Wind chasers have a “keep up with the Joneses” mentality. They are driven by envy and want what others have. They desire money, fame, possessions, relationships, approval or attention. They will lie, steal, beg, and manipulate to get what they want. They are known for reckless living and have a full speed ahead approach to life. They chase what they don’t even have the character or wisdom to maintain. They are thrill seekers, always living to gratify themselves. They will disrespect themselves, God and others all in the name of “getting what I want.”

 

Why do we Chase?

Scriptural Reference: I John 2: 15-17 (NLT)

15. Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world. 17. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

We chase because of the lust. Simple as that. It’s not your actual skin or eyes that are lustful, it’s your heart that’s deceiving you.  Our heart is deceitfully wicked and there is nothing good in our flesh. Our heart has tricked us into believing that the missing piece of the puzzle in our life is more of something. A bigger house, another job, a new man, somebody else’s man, a new Benz, that Chanel bag, another plastic surgery, a luxury vacation and the list goes on and on. The devil will never run out of suggestions of things for you to chase. Our mind is his playground when our thoughts are scattered and we’re not happy with what we have or who we are.

Sometimes we feel that God is taking too long or he didn’t give us what we wanted so we go and manufacture it ourselves. When we finally get it and it’s not what we thought it would be, back to chasing we go. If chasing worked, what we “caught” would be enough, but it’s not. It has nothing to do with what we’re pursing; it signifies unrest within us. It means that we haven’t learned contentment, self-acceptance and gratitude.  It’s an insult to God when we chase anything. It’s as if he’s not enough and incapable of taking care of us.

Lust of the flesh: It’s an unquenchable sinful desire. You are driven by what your body craves so you go after it, even at the risk of causing harm to yourself or someone else. Your flesh makes you feel invincible, like nothing can happen to you. It always wants more and will require more of you. It will never be satisfied. You see women all the time who disrespect their bodies by showing the world what should only be seen by them and their husband. Social media is overflowing with women who are dressed in the least amount of clothes possible, thinking that what they reveal will get them what they want. It may, temporarily, but it also brings shame and dishonor. Just know, enough will never be enough when your flesh is leading you. And it doesn’t lead to any good destinations.

Lust of the eyes: You want everything you see, even if it belongs to someone else, even if you can’t afford it or haven’t earned it. You somehow feel entitled because life or people haven’t treated you fairly. So, you attempt to fill your void with all your eyes can behold. You tell yourself that you only live once so why not live for the moment. When you are enticed by what you see, you tend to overindulge in anything and everything.  It may seem exciting in the beginning but being led by our flesh comes with a hefty price tag. It will definitely cost you more than it was worth and it will take the mercy of God to rescue you. Trust me, been there done that.

Pride of life: Pride will cause you to feel that you are better than everyone. You present a false image to others as if you are self-made. You are self-absorbed and always have to be the center of attention. You gloat in your accomplishments and belittle others who have less. The words that constantly come out of your mouth are me, myself and I. Prideful people also don’t like to admit when they’re wrong and have a difficult time apologizing. Pride is the quickest way for your imaginary world to come tumbling down.   

 

Remedy for Wind Chasers

Scriptural Reference: Matt 6:33 (NLT)

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

The solution for “chasing the wind” is to seek God first, walk in the Spirit, be content and trust God’s timing. It sounds simple but not always easy to do. Becoming a Christian doesn’t eliminate our desire for things. They just have to be handled God’s way so that our desires don’t drive us away from him. As a follower of Christ, we approach our desires differently. We take delight in Him and let him adjust our desires according to his plan. We no longer try to make it happen in our own strength. We must believe that God is a good good Father and what is for us, will not pass us. We don’t have to worry about being overlooked, forgotten about or ignored. If we are living according to Matthew 6:33, the addition of things is automatic.

Contentment is something you have to learn. It takes practice and self-discipline. My life today is drastically different than it was almost 6 years ago. According to man’s standards, my life lacks most of the things defined as happiness and success. But I finally have something that money or the chase can’t buy. I have found contentment. Ah, there’s nothing like it! Yes, I still desire certain things, but I fully trust God in that area now. My chase almost destroyed me. I lost myself. And my relationship with God was an afterthought because I was consumed by the chase and trying to maintain what I “caught.” My life is so much different now, but I wouldn’t trade this peace and rest for anything. I am not behind. I haven’t missed out. I am right where I should be, following God’s lead and living my life at his pace.

Most of the time, fulfillment is staring us in the face. First and foremost, we have God, our life, family and provision. We take so much for granted. But gratitude will keep us from greed and thanksgiving will keep us from being thirsty. God is not hiding anything from us, he doesn’t mind if we have homes, cars, careers and wealth but he just doesn’t want any of those things to have us. The world is competing for our mind, so we have to make sure we’re keeping our mind on Christ. It has to be a deliberate decision and consistent effort on our part. Walking in the Spirit is the only way to control our flesh.

Let’s not beg God for stuff. He already knows what we like, asking is fine but more importantly let’s be kingdom minded. And actually, God is known for giving us things beyond our imagination anyway. He’s an expert at giving!

Instead of that new pair of Christian Louboutin shoes maybe you need to develop character.

Instead of a new Louis Vuitton purse, maybe you need to work on the way you love God, yourself and others.

Instead of getting a new Range Rover, focus on repentance.

Instead of chasing fame, make sure forgiveness is a lifestyle.

Money is nice but don’t desire it more than maturing in Christ.

Instead of striving to be perfect, concentrate on progressing in your purpose.

And instead of a platform, pray that God is glorified in all that you do.

In closing, if you are chasing the wind and always in hot pursuit of the next best thing, may I suggest that you come to a screeching halt! After years of chasing and wearing yourself out, you’re still not satisfied. Everything you “caught” has slipped right through your fingers. So, please put your life in park and figure out what you’re really after. The things you’re chasing will they even matter a year from now?

At the end of your life, you will not regret that you didn’t chase more. Rather it will be that you didn’t recognize and enjoy all that God gave you. You’ll realize you missed out on important milestones in your life and the lives of those around you because you were always chasing something. You can’t get time back. This is a regret that doesn’t have to happen.

Start being present in the moment, water your own grass and take care of all that God has given you! Resist the temptation to measure your life against someone else’s. Someone will always have more than you. So, don’t let inadequacy whisper in your ear that you are not enough.  As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy!

The chase will end when you rest in the fact that God loves you, he sees you and he always provides. But he will not give us things we’re not ready for or that would destroy us. It’s time to relax in Him and stop the chase of people, places and things. Rather put all that energy into developing your relationship with Christ and watch your desires change. The rat race will no longer be enjoyable. For all you ever needed, wanted, imagined, and desired is found in Him. Seek Him, love him, serve him and you will never have to worry about a thing. Nothing good will be kept from you when your ways please him.

God has the blueprint, strategy and timetable for all he has planned for us. And chasing anyone or anything is not part of His plan nor will it speed up the process. According to Isaiah 60:22, when the time is right, I the Lord will make it happen. Jesus and what he offers is enough, it has to be, otherwise, we will always be miserable and comparing our lives to others. God wants us to have the best but He is the giver of things. He adds, not us. For all the times we chased something or someone, Father please forgive us. We make this declaration today…Jireh, you are enough. More than enough. And will always be enough.

I am all for excelling in life. I truly believe we should maximize our potential while we’re here and enjoy the journey too!  However, I feel the ultimate measure of success is hearing these words in the end…well done thou good and faithful servant! If we live with the end and eternal value in mind, we will be less tempted to run after anybody or anything.

 

Self-Assessment Time

1. What areas of my life are unfulfilled?
2. What are my desires? What is the motive behind the things I want?
3. How do I measure success? Do I need to change my view of success? If so, what needs to change?
4. Am I currently chasing something or someone? If so, what is driving me to do it?
5. When I feel like I am not enough or don’t have the things I desire, how can I remind myself of what really matters?
6. What can I do to when I am tempted to compare my life to others? What needs to change about my thought pattern?
7. What can I do every day to learn and practice contentment?
8. How can I stay grounded in all seasons of my life and not be controlled by the temptation to chase people or things?
9. How can I live in the moment and enjoy the journey while making progress towards my goals?
10. Do I really trust God with my desires? With my future? If not, why and what adjustments do I need to make?

 

Please feel free to leave a comment if this blog resonates with you. I would love to hear your thoughts and will be sure to reply too!

Thanks for coming back again this month and hanging out with me. I love it when you do! I’ll see you in April!

Journal and Greeting Card Giveaway: The first 10 people to leave a comment will receive a copy of my Party of ONE journal and a Party of ONE greeting card so that you can pay it forward. You will be contacted via email if you are one of the winners. You must reside in the USA.

You are celebrated and appreciated my fellow Party of ONE!

God’s best always,

Leslie

Scriptures to Ponder:

I John 2: 15-17

Matthew 6:33

Ecclesiastes 4:4&6

Proverbs 11:2

Proverbs 16:18

Galatians 5:16-25

James 1:14-15

Romans 12:2

Romans 8:4-14