Written on August 15, 2014.

What is something you desperately pursued, only to find out it was a waste of time and left you feeling disappointed?

I’m not sure how far I walked today, but I walked around Jerusalem for about a total of 4-5 hours. When I’m here, I would much rather walk than take the Light-Rail or a taxi/bus. It’s great exercise walking up and down the hills and it’s also great “me” time. I usually throw on my headphones and rock out or worship.

Now before you get bored, let me explain something so you know I’m not just blabbing. I made two trips into Jerusalem today. During the first trip I walked to The Kotel (the Western Wall) and from there made my way up to Ben Yehudah and got some of the delicious Moshiko’s Shawarma. From there I went to the Shuk, which for Pittsburgher’s, it’s like the Strip District on Steroids. Then I walked back up to the school. According to Google Maps it’s roughly a 10-mile walk, which I didn’t mind. I need to lose weight and I love that time.

However, during my second trip, I was supposed to go meet up with some friends but missed the Light-Rail and didn’t make it. So instead of turning back and getting a cheap dinner I continued walking on my already blistered feet to eat at one of my favorite places in Jerusalem. I thought, “I’ll get some more exercise and even though I’m spending a little more money on some bad food, I’ve walked a lot today and it’ll be good.” It wasn’t.

I got to the restaurant and what is normally a 60 shekel meal ended up costing me 83 (That’s almost $25!) At first I thought I heard him wrong, but when I received my change it was too late. I couldn’t believe it. Then I found out they added extra stuff on my burger when I specifically told him only cheese, mayo and ketchup. I barely ate the meal. The fries weren’t fully cooked, the burger meat was a little undercooked and I was disappointed.

I thought about taking a taxi back but there were two problems: 1. A concert had just let out which left no taxis available. 2. I just spent way too much money on food. So I walked back in my shame and felt like I was walking on nails the entire time because my feet are so blistered (And yes, that’s about at least a 3-4 mile walk).

So here we go. How often do we pursue and walk towards something, even though we know it’s not going to satisfy us or we know it’s sinful? And even when the Lord gives us the sign to stop (blistered feet), we keep going because we think it will satisfy us. Then we come to find out that not only does it not satisfy us, but it also costs us a lot more than we originally thought. This is something the Lord is speaking to my heart right now. He’s trying to remind me that those signs aren’t there for fun, but for my protection. Sometimes we just need to cut our losses and turn back to Jesus. In the end what matters most is how we pursued Him, not those things that temporarily satisfy us.

So my question for you is: What are you pursuing? Will you end up feeling satisfied, and if so, for how long? What do you need to cut in order to pursue Jesus with your WHOLE heart, and not just part of it. This is a relatively short blog, but it can also be extremely beneficial if you’ve found yourself pursuing the wrong things. Don’t give it up tomorrow. Give it up now. Don’t fully pursue Jesus tomorrow. Fully pursue him now! When you get to Heaven, I’m pretty sure you’ll be happier that you pursued Him sooner rather than later 😉