As a parent, one of our top priorities is always keeping our kids safe. We try to teach them things like looking both ways before they cross the street, don’t talk to strangers, don’t stick your finger in the electrical socket, and don’t put that in your mouth. Despite all of our efforts and timeless safety tips, our kids still regularly find ways to put themselves in danger. I remember a time when my oldest, I think she was about three at the time, put herself in a dangerous situation. 

She, my wife, and I went out to dinner one night and my daughter was a little restless. The dinner took longer than we wanted and that never goes well for a little person. At some points, she started playing with one of those small rubber bouncing balls that you get from those random vending machines for a quarter and thankfully, that seemed to quell any ongoing thoughts of a toddler insurrection. Finally, we finished our dinner, and it was time to leave. 

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The three of us left the restaurant and I held my daughter’s hand as we began to cross the street to return to our car. I was reaching into my pocket for my keys when I felt her hand twist out of mine and move rapidly in the other direction. I turned around to see my little girl running back toward the street and into the path of an ongoing car. (Here, it should be noted that I remember this car being a large SUV or maybe a Mac truck. My wife contends that it was a small car, but does that really matter?) With ninja like reflexes, I turned around, sprinted toward her, grabbed her around the waist, and snatched her to safety. She started crying because while I did save her life, her precious bouncing ball was rolling farther and farther away. Thankfully, we were also able to recover the ball and it was equally unscathed. Physically that is. Emotionally, I was very scathed! 

What my daughter didn’t realize is that she had risked her life for something that was cheap and replaceable. She was chasing something that was worthless while risking something priceless. Don’t we do that regularly though? 

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How often in our lives do we chase things that are worthless at the expense of the priceless? We chase things like status, wealth, and power at the expense of true connection with God, meaningful relationships, and real spiritual and personal growth. We often work to grow our influence and our platforms but neglect the development of our character. 

Scripture speaks to this in Matthew 6: 

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

We serve a God who loves and cares for us. Who wants to be connected to us and help us to grow and become more like Him. Yet too often we wrench our hands away from His in order to chase things that are worthless and replaceable. This passage tells us that when we pursue Him, when we put Him and the things of His Kingdom first, the rest will fall into place. Don’t risk things that are priceless to chase things that are worthless.

Where are you today? Are you walking hand in hand with a loving Father who wants to grow and build you up to be the person he has created you to be? Or are you running away from Him to chase things that don’t matter? If that’s you, I want to encourage you to stop running and turn back to Him. Know that His arms are open, and he can’t wait for you to come home.