For the Pursuit

July 28, 2026

I was listening to Nick Bare's podcast yesterday and he was explaining that there are certain breeds of dogs that need a job.

They were created to work, and when they don't have a clear purpose or direction, they create one for themselves. They dig holes in the yard, chew up furniture, bark at everything that moves, or find some other way to burn off their energy.

I believe we're the same way.

When we don't have something meaningful to pursue, we don't just stop moving. We usually end up filling our lives with meaningless distractions, or even unhealthy pursuits.

We spend hours scrolling our phones, buying things we don't need, or staying busy with things that don't really matter. We keep ourselves occupied, but deep down we want more, we want something meaningful to pursue.

I think every one of us has an internal desire to move toward something that matters.

One of the core problems is that modern life makes it incredibly easy to stay comfortable. We can entertain ourselves every waking hour and still go to bed feeling empty.

We can have a successful career, own a nice home, and still wonder why we don't feel fully alive.

I don't believe we were created just to make it through another week.

I believe we were created for the pursuit. To get in the arena and pursue something with a vision, a focus, and commitment.

Having something to pursue changes the way you live. You wake up with direction. Your decisions become clearer and your energy has somewhere to go.

For the Pursuit is more than just the tagline for SPRK LIFE, it's the way I want to live my life in full pursuit...spiritually, physically, vocationally, relationally, financially and every other meaningful way. I want to be the man in pursuit of who God created me to be. I don't want to waste my gifts and talents.

Here are a few truths I've learned about "the pursuit."

It's never too late

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that we missed our chance.

Maybe you're forty. Maybe you're sixty or even eighty. Maybe life didn't turn out the way you imagined, and somewhere along the way you stopped believing that the things on your heart were still possible.

I don't believe that.

As long as you're breathing, there's still time to begin again. There's still time to pursue something that gives you life.

Do it scared

If your pursuit matters, there's a good chance it will scare you.

Every meaningful decision I've made in my life came with uncertainty. I wished I had more clarity before taking the first step, but clarity rarely shows up first. It usually comes after you've been willing to move.

Fear isn't a reason to wait. It's usually an invitation to grow. Feel the fear, feel the resistance and do it anyway. Resistance Means Go!

Expect it to be hard

Anything worthwhile is going to ask something of you.

There will be setbacks, moments of doubt, days when your motivation disappears, and times when you'll question whether you're on the right path. That's part of the process.

When I look back on the moments I'm most proud of, I don't remember them because they were easy. I remember the commitment they required and the person I became while working toward them.

Play the long game

One of the hardest parts of pursuing anything meaningful is staying committed after the excitement wears off.

There will always be another opportunity that looks easier or more exciting. That's the nature of chasing shiny objects. We convince ourselves that starting over will somehow be easier than staying the course.

Real growth usually looks much less exciting than we expect.

It looks like showing up today. Then showing up again tomorrow.

And doing that over and over until one day you realize you've become someone completely different.

The internal always comes first

I love looking at nature because it reminds me how life really works.

A seed spends a long time growing beneath the surface before anyone sees a single leaf. The growth starts where nobody is looking.

I think our lives work the same way.

Who you are becoming matters more than any goal you'll ever accomplish. Your character, your heart, your integrity, your patience, your gratitude, your love for other people. Those are the things that eventually shape everything else.

Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruit."

Fruit is simply the outward evidence of what's happening on the inside.

That's why the pursuit isn't only about reaching a destination.

It's about becoming the person you were created to be along the way.

There's no Finish Line

The pursuit is lifelong. The only finish line is when you complete your race on this earth. I've learned that when I complete, or achieve a goal, I feel good for that day.

I'm proud of myself and rightfully so, it's a great feeling to set an objective and complete it.

But I have realized it's not about the accomplishment, it's about the journey, the sweat, overcoming challenges and becoming the man I was created to be.

I've learned it's about the pursuit, not the prize.