People are always askin’, “Why am I here?” Actually, that’s a pretty good question. In fact, to discover ones purpose for his or her own existence is to find meaning for their lives. What one needs to do, though, is to find out what the Scriptures have to say about it – what is the purpose of life according to the Bible? How ’bout this:
“. . .let yourself be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, ‘I am holy, you be holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Say to yourself over and over again what your life means to God. Hey, the purpose of you being here – i.e., of you existing – is not your happiness (dude, that’s hedonism) nor even your health (the youth culture wants us all to be twenty-five again with all its attributes [and to behave like fifteen year olds!]) but rather your holiness! Man, we got a lot goin’ on in our lives – and many of those things are okay to have and be doin’ – but God has a totally different perspective on things. What really matters to Him is whether or not you and I are holy people!!! The one, great truth here is that you and I need to be rightly related to God which means that we’re livin’ a life “shaped by” Him.
Hey, do you think that I’m jus’ blowin’ smoke at you? Do you think that such is all a bunch of hooey? “C’mon, He really didn’t mean what He said in Peter’s letter, did He? Besides, I resent you tellin’ me that ’cause it sounds like you’re sayin’ that there’s some deficiency in my Christian walk; quit judging me! Dude, I’m gonna punch your lights out!!!” Hmmmmmmmmmmm??? So, don’t you believe in what God says? Doesn’t He really know what He’s talkin’ about?
You know, I’m gonna use your resentment to both our advantages – I’m gonna show you that gettin’ hot under the collar at me is actually a very intense craving – a longing and desire – to have what God has for you! Yeah, man, it’s true; otherwise you’d jus’ blow this off and move on. But, when it festers in your gut and you wanna do somethin’ – do anything!!! – about it, well, that’s good, man!
Truth be told, God has one purpose for you – as well as all mankind – and that’s holiness. His one, destined end for men is that they be separated unto Him to live for Him and by Him and in Him and through Him. Dude, He didn’t come to save you ’cause He felt sorry for you. Nor is He jus’ a Cosmic Santa Claus givin’ you nice gifts. And, while He will provide you with sound counsel when needed, He’s not jus’ a Fabulous Friend. Naw, He’s the God of the universe who sent His only Son to die for sinners like you and me; and Christ’s death means that you and I can be put back into a perfect union with God with nothing so thin as a shadow coming between us!
Man, quit puttin’ up with either yourself or others when it comes to anything that displeases God. Sometimes, our offenses are so gross and crass that no one can mistake how cruddy we really are; while, at other times, our sins can seem pretty innocuous (you know,they have a veneer of respectability – like a box of “road apples” [that's horse poop] painted gold! But, hey, poop is still poop, man, no matter how it’s covered up and packaged!!!). Livin’ for Christ deals with what you DO, what you SAY, what you THINK, and even what your MOTIVES are – it’s every detail of your life under the watchful eye of your Maker!
Man, I jus’ happen to think that if we were to live our lives as Peter describes, then we’d find real purpose – real meaning – to who we are and why we’ve been put here. Yeah, a “life that is energetic and blazing” and pleasing to God!!! That’s for me, dude.
“But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. . .The last and final word is this: ‘Fear God. Do what he tells you.’ And that’s it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12-13)
(With the deepest apologies to Oswald Chambers and his fabulous work, My Utmost for His Highest, from which the above devo was taken and adapted [pretty extensively!] for CrossWind’s use.)
Copyright @ 2007 CrossWind Ministry
