Cut to the Chase (Inspired by Joseph Solomon)

A few days ago, I was scrolling through my subscription list on YouTube and I noticed a new video had been uploaded on the channel formerly known as Chase God TV. Chase God TV is the brainchild of Joseph Solomon, a speaker, poet, and singer-songwriter who hails from Fort Hood, Texas. Joseph recently changed the channel name to his given name and expanded it to include vlogs, but its God-centered content remains the same. Christianity can seem daunting to many people who are not familiar with it, especially young adults who are trying to discover themselves while exploring the Christian faith. Chase God TV is Bible-based, but it caters to those who want to learn about God from a more fresh, contemporary perspective. It focuses on doctrine, but in a cool way, simplifying it into a pursuit: chasing God. Through the channel, Joseph Solomon has found an innovative way to win souls for Christ by looking at the larger-than-life Jesus through an everyday life lens in discussions about relevant issues and topics that a lot of young adults face.

The title of the video I'll be discussing in this blog is Chase God, Not Her. The title alone caught my eye for two reasons: 1) It alluded to the channel's former name and 2) It reminded me of a post I wrote back in January called "Living Single (and Saved)." After watching the video twice, I started thinking about a lot of things, but mostly these: What do the things we chase say about us? Why do we chase them? And, perhaps the most important point of all, what does it mean to chase God for God's sake? Feel free to watch the video below before you read my commentary:

In Chase God, Not Her, Joe talked about how he had a crush on a girl and chased God in order to chase her. At first, he chased God because he thought it would impress her. She loved Jesus, so he thought if he could prove that he loved Jesus too, she would love him. When it didn't work out that way and his feelings weren't reciprocated, he had to stop and reassess why he was chasing God in the first place and decide whether or not he wanted to continue pursuing Him. This was SO profound to me. God is always available to us, always behind us to catch us when we fall. He is in constant pursuit of our hearts, but it is up to us to stop running from Him and start running to Him...in order to actually reach HIM, not the things of the world. Chasing God is a choice.

If you want to truly know who a person is, find out what they're chasing and why they're chasing it. If they're chasing a significant other, they want love. If they're chasing dreams, they're ambitious. If they're chasing money, cars, and clothes, they're materialistic. If they're chasing God, no matter where life takes them, they're headed in the right direction. In Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV), Jesus says:

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.

I like the King James version of Matthew 6:33 even better because instead of "given unto you," KJV says, "all these things shall be ADDED unto you." Everything you need, you'll find in God. He alone is enough. Everything else He gives us, the things we unnecessarily chase instead of chasing Him are bonuses! Chase God, and He'll send love your way. Chase God, and you won't have to chase your dreams; they'll come to you. Chase God, and He'll provide you with the resources you need. Money, cars, clothes, all those things we can't take with us when we die, they hold no value in Heaven. Chase God for God's sake, meaning chase Him just because He's God. God is not a fad or a trend. His love never fades or fails. Don't chase Him because of what He can do for you, or because Christianity looks cool (It IS cool, though!), or because everyone else is doing it. You can't serve Him to serve others. You have to make a personal, conscious decision to let Him in.

God wants us to cut to the chase, cut out all distractions and focus solely on following Him. The world may not understand the race we're running, and yes, there will be hurdles to jump over, but it'll all be worth it when we reach the finish line. As Joe would say, grace and peace, fam!

Check out more of Joseph Solomon's videos here. To find out if he's coming to a city near you, click here.