By guest blogger, Davey Ramsey, Hickory congregation

Traveling the back roads of rural North Carolina I often encounter four-legged friends determined to chase passing cars. These overly obsessed hounds seem oblivious of the potential danger to life and paw as they boldly pursue each traveling motorist.
One day, while driving along a secluded stretch of highway, I happened upon one of these misguided mutts lying in ambush on the side of the road. Having seen him well in advance, I decided to have some fun and allow this unsuspecting underdog to subdue his long sought after prize. Easing on the accelerator I speedily closed the gap and watched as the perilous pooch began his well rehearsed routine. First the crouch, then the growl and finally the spring board launch narrowly avoiding the wrath of my roaring tires. Undeterred by his near miss, my dogged pursuer was now in high gear and enthusiastically racing alongside my speeding car. Caught up in the excitement, I stepped on the gas and smugly watched as his toothy grin slowly appeared in my rear view mirror. Suddenly, according to my plan, I slammed on the breaks and screeched to a halt. Watching in the mirror, I perceived that this unexpected turn of events had caught my new found foe completely by surprise. Obviously, the realization of overtaking his prey had failed to produce the joy he had so long envisioned. Disillusioned by the emptiness of his victory, he soon turned tail and trotted home only to repeat this risky ritual with the next passing car.
Driving away from the scene I couldn’t help but recognize the similarities of this reckless rover’s behavior to that of many people today. Influenced by the trappings of our consumer based society, men and women frantically chase after personal possessions in a misguided attempt to find happiness and fulfillment in their lives. Consumed by the stress of this mad scramble for personal gain, many often fail to realize that the source of true prosperity and peace does not come though accumulation of worldly goods, but rather, through a personal relationship with our creator. Jesus Christ explained this very concept to his disciples in the form of a parable. Notice Luke:12:16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: "Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Jesus understood that our first priority in life should always be towards seeking a relationship with our Heavenly Father. In fact, he gave his very life to make that opportunity possible. (See Col:1:19-20[19]For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;[20]And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.[19]For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;[20]And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. NKJ)
So the next time you’re out driving and you come across one of those careless canines ask yourself these questions. How is my relationship with God? Am I working to understand and fulfill God’s purpose for my life, or am I, like so many others, simply chasing cars?