The Pursuit of You

I've always been assertive in relationships, especially when it comes to pursuing what I want. If I want a hug, I reach for one. If I want to hear "I love you," I say it first, knowing I'll likely hear it back. Give a little, get a little. Probably a self-protection strategy—if I initiate, I don’t have to risk rejection. That pain runs deep for me, so I can see how this pattern developed.

But when I look at Scripture, I see something different. From the very beginning, women were meant to be pursued.

When God created Adam, He placed him in the Garden of Eden to work, manage, and have dominion over everything within it (Genesis 2:15). Interestingly, translations of Eden mean delight or pleasure. The garden was filled with everything meant to bring joy—animals, trees, fruit, shade, beauty. But Eve wasn’t just placed in the garden; she was made there. Formed in an atmosphere of abundance and delight, she was designed to be pursued by a man who had been given the role of tending, working, and seeking.

Yet somehow, along the way, I stepped in front of that design. I made myself easy to reach—low-hanging fruit, so to speak. Not that initiating love or opportunity is bad, but there’s something deeply affirming about being pursued.

I once received a job offer from an organization that sought me out. They saw value in me, called me, and offered me a position that I hadn’t even been looking for. I left a job I enjoyed because they pursued me. That felt different. That felt good.

Contrast that with a recent experience: a job opportunity was sent my way, and I applied. I even had an interview that I thought went extremely well. I was excited. But a few days later, I got the email: We are pursuing other candidates.

Ouch.

Rejection stings. It makes me question: Am I not qualified? Not enough? Did I hear God wrong?

But here’s the battle I keep facing: the pursuit of me—the one God calls me to be.

This world is full of voices telling us we aren’t enough. That we need to prove ourselves, qualify ourselves, fight for love, strive for belonging. But the truth is, God qualifies the unqualified. He says we are enough—not because of what we do, but because of who He is. He loves us—not because we earned it, but because He loved us first (1 John 4:19).

And He is a pursuer.

I think of the shepherd who left the ninety-nine to chase down the one (Luke 15:4-7). The father who ran to embrace his prodigal son before he could utter a word of apology (Luke 15:20). The God who sought out a hiding Adam and Eve, not to condemn them, but to call them back to Him (Genesis 3:9).

And He pursues me.

So why do I keep striving? Why do I fight so hard to be seen, to be enough, to be chosen? Maybe the better question is: What would it look like to rest in His pursuit instead of exhausting myself in my own?

I don’t have all the answers. But I know this: You are worth pursuing—not because of what you do, but because of who God says you are. And when you pursue Him, you’ll find that He’s already been pursuing you all along.