So you’ve got a wedding or a hot date this weekend (maybe both!) ... what’s the first thing that runs through your mind? You know exactly what I’m talking about. That nagging little exclamation which sets in motion a series of unavoidable trips to the mall and strikes dread in the hearts of men the world over.

"WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?!"

Thus the search begins! From lipstick—pink or red—to the ever-important shoes—heels or wedges—we begin fervently and passionately hunting for just the right combination of clothing and accessories that will not only cause jaws to drop but also add that confident little swing to our hips. The search may take one afternoon, but more often than not, it’s a frustrating and seemingly endless hop from one store to the next, lasting until just hours before the event. We persist until just the right outfit hangs from that pink silk-padded hanger and then swear never to shop again … until the next event, that is.

Our approach to this pursuit can only be described in two words: passionate and persistent. No matter how frustrating it gets or how inconvenienced we are by the process, we persevere. Against all logic and fatigue, we persist until the feat is finished.

Do we think twice about spending so much time and energy pursuing that outfit? Do we let our everyday responsibilities get in the way? Do we make plans with our girlfriends instead of hitting up just one more store in search of the perfect purse? Of course not! What do we do instead? We get up at six to do the laundry and limit our chitchat with the chicks to one hour instead of three. In other words, we make time because we are passionate about finding that desired look. Because we intend to be stunning, we direct our focus and energy towards that goal.

Do you ever get frustrated when week after week the level of closeness and communication you have with God just doesn’t get where you want it to? Are you constantly kicking yourself or pulling out your perfectly coifed hair trying to figure out what you’re doing wrong? Do you wonder why the passion always seems to fade after the initial pick-me-up of worship and fellowship at church or your Bible study? What if the passion hasn’t faded so much as your pursuit has slowed or grown wearisome?

When you first set out on that hunt for the perfect outfit, it’s all excitement and giggles. The day before the desired event you may have a headache and sore feet, yet you persist. Why? Because you know the outcome is all the more worthwhile. That is a passionate pursuit.

Each week you set out towards a new goal, looking for something money cannot buy. You may start by pouring out your heart in prayer and worship and pressing in to the glorious presence of our Lord. At first, it’s all goosebumps and wondrous revelations. But, as time goes by, you hit the snooze button just one more time because you were out late with friends or decided to catch the latest movie instead of spending time in the Word. Maybe it starts out just once a week. Then slowly, as responsibilities and endless tasks take over your world, your focus shifts and you unconsciously begin to put obstacles in your own way. Or perhaps, even though you spend time each morning in pursuit of God, you just seem to come away empty-handed.

The solution for both is persistence. Just like you wouldn’t think of relying on last year’s dress to wow others and bring confidence to your step, why would you rely on last Sunday’s worship service to get you through Wednesday’s doldrums? No matter how many times you walk out of a store empty-handed, you remain determined to hit every store until you find that perfect outfit. Yet when your relationship with God seems frustratingly unexciting, you often stop pursuing Him.

In both scenarios, you may start out at a dead run, passionate about your pursuit, and the end result is an overwhelmingly satisfying experience which only reinvigorates your passion so that it’s stronger and deeper than before. But would that perfect outfit work if you wore the heels and pearls without the dress? No! Your relationship with God is just the same. The accessories are your passion, the bling, the WOW! The dress is the necessary persistence which makes sense of our passion. Without the dress, the ensemble is incomplete.

Standing in my knockout ensemble, hips swinging, I look back on the wake of dressing rooms piled high with “that’s all wrong” pieces of clothing and realize that I owe my dazzling attire to that messy trail. Likewise, looking back at each goosebump-raising encounter with my God, I see a journey of persistence which brought me to my passion.

For me, being Pink means that my passion often takes the less dazzling form of persistence. It also means persisting until that passion once again transforms into that head-over-heels, butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling of closeness with God.