Day 15 — Run and Chase

“Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

— 2 Timothy 2:22 (BSB)

Paul wrote this to his young friend Timothy. And he gave him two commands: one about running away and one about running toward.

“Flee from youthful passions.” To flee means to run away, fast. Youthful passions are strong wrong desires that young people often struggle with. For guys your age, that might be things like:

• Wanting to show off and be the best at everything.
• Losing your temper.
• Wanting stuff you can’t have, and getting jealous of guys who have it.
• Wanting to fit in so badly that you’ll do things you know are wrong.
• Being curious about things you shouldn’t look at.

As you grow up, you’ll feel some new and strong feelings. That’s normal. God designed you to grow and change. But some of those desires can pull you toward wrong things. And when they do, Paul says, don’t try to stand there and fight. Run. Get out of the situation. Close the screen. Walk away from the group. Change what you’re doing. (And if you have questions about the new feelings that come with growing up, talk to your dad, mom or another trusted adult. They want to help.)

But Paul doesn’t only say what to run from. He also says what to run toward: “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.” To pursue means to chase after something with energy, like chasing a ball down the field.

It’s not enough to just run away from bad things. You need to chase after good things: doing what’s right, trusting God, loving people and making peace. When your life is full of chasing good things, there’s less room for bad ones.

And notice the last part: “together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” You don’t have to do this alone! Find other guys who love God, and chase good things together.

Think about it: What’s something you need to run from? What’s something good you could chase after instead?

Try this: Name one situation you need to “flee” from. Then name one good thing you’ll “pursue” in its place. Tell a friend or your dad about your plan.

Dear God, help me run away from wrong desires and run toward righteousness, faith, love and peace. Give me friends who love You, so we can chase after good things together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.