Pursue Them: Be Aggressive

As a cheerleader in high school, one of our offense cheers was B-E-AGG-RESSIVE... Be Aggressive, Be Aggressive! The whole point and encouragement of the cheer was for our Raiders football players to be aggressive with their offensive strategies and beat the opposing team.

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the word "aggressive" is an adjective meaning something "marked by combative readiness" or "marked by a driving forceful energy or initiative". In the same respects, the word "pursue" can be used as an action verb meaning "to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, or defeat". In terms of our Maroon Raiders, we cheerleaders chanted "Be Aggressive" in hopes that our team would initiate a driving force of energy to skillfully pursue the other team and defeat them, resulting in a victory for our town. Yes, we also had a spell-the-word chant for "defense", but an offensive aggression and pursuit needed to go hand-in-hand with a strong defensive plan in order to claim victory in the game.

Ironically, our lives and the circumstances that we face will often call for us to put our defensive plans into actions. But how many of us have an offensive plan, as well, and boldly put it to use in order to forge ahead and pursue the enemy? Are we just reacting to the cunning schemes of the enemy, or are we proactively and boldly pursuing our enemy to gain a victory in our lives?

In 1 Samuel 30, David was faced with great turmoil and feelings of hurt as he and his troop's families had been kidnapped. When he inquired of the Lord as to the direction he should take, he was instructed to, "Pursue them...You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue."[1 Samuel 30:8] Then we find in Numbers 13, Joshua and Caleb were the only two MEN out of the twelve sent to survey Canaan, who felt bold, confident, and ready to pursue their enemies in order to possess their Promised Land. When asked their opinion after the exploration of Canaan, Caleb replied, "We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it." [Numbers 13: 30] They possessed that combative readiness and initiative to set out and pursue their enemy in order to reach the Promised Land.

What is your "promised land" today? Is your promised land a new job, restored/repaired finances, a mended marriage, someone to marry and to spend the rest of your life with? Whatever your "promised land" may be, are you aggressively pursuing your enemy to defeat him and get what God has promised to you, or are you simply playing your defense strategy? Are you ready to put the "fullback dive" into play, becoming like a battering ram to take God's direct path and bully your way through the line, the barrier in your life? Does Satan cringe when he sees you crack open your eyes each day, because he knows you are ready to take the day BY STORM in God's strength?

Make a decision today that you will call on the strength and direction of Life's Greatest Coach, Our Lord, to provide you with not only a great defense plan, but an even more awesome offensive strategy. Make a commitment to aggressively pursue the enemy for the sake of your "promised land"! What will be your strategy? At times for me, a spiritual offensive strategy was to fight my flesh and wake up much earlier than I even wanted to, in order to cover myself and family in prayer. Seek God for your unique plan of action and strategy. But please, pursue them, for you can surely take them over and succeed! You can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength, and you ARE actually MORE THAN A CONQUER!

But thanks be God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph! [2Corinthians 2:14]

Mad Luv~Teri