by James Collins

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 

Many years ago, a man was driving on a country road when he saw something very strange. A chicken was running beside his car. Suddenly, the chicken ran even faster. The man glanced at his speedometer. He was going 50 miles per hour. Incredibly, the chicken was outrunning his car. 

The man pushed on the accelerator and increased his speed to 60 miles per hour. Remarkably, the chicken still outran his car. 

He drove faster, 70 miles per hour. The chicken was still faster. 

The chicken made a right turn and darted into the driveway of a small farm. The man watched as the chicken disappeared behind the farmhouse. The man was so amazed by the speed of the chicken that he parked his car and knocked on the farmhouse door. A farmer dressed in overalls opened the door and the man said, “Sir, do you know you have a chicken that can run over 70 miles an hour?” The farmer replied, “Oh you must mean our three-legged chicken. Yes, she’s really fast.” 

The man said, “I’ve never heard of a three-legged chicken.” The farmer said, “I run this farm with my wife and son. When it comes to eating chicken, each of us loves the drumstick. So, we decided to breed three-legged chickens.” The man said, “That’s amazing. How has it worked out? How does a three-legged chicken taste?” The farmer replied, “I don’t know. We haven’t caught him yet!” 

The three-legged chicken is symbolic of the pursuit of happiness in today’s world. If you are chasing anything other than a richer, deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, then whatever you’re after is your three-legged chicken. You will never catch it. 

Your three-legged chicken can come in many varieties. Money. Fame. Sex. Pleasure. Success. Instead of chasing after something that you will never catch, Jesus wants you to chase after Him. The road to true contentment is the one where you give your life to Christ and then go deeper into a relationship with Him.  

What are you living for in your few fleeting years on this earth? A thousand years from now, some of the things you think are so important – your date for the winter formal, who won the Super Bowl, the make and model of your car, working overtime to make more money – are not going to be so important. There’s nothing wrong with these things, but they are not lasting.  

The point is: The only One worth chasing is Jesus Christ. Get to know Jesus better. Grow in His grace. Go deeper in your relationship with Him.  

Are you chasing after Jesus or three-legged chickens?

James Collins is a pastor, writer, and columnist. Find out more about his ministry at www.thepointis.net.