Friday, July 14, 2023
Our culture is obsessed with finding our own personal happiness and discovering our true selves. However, we remain a bunch of miserable people. We constantly reinvent ourselves. We claim we are free, yet we are slaves to the opinions of those around us. We are constantly trying to achieve the next big promotion, relationship, or whatever else seems to be the thing that will prove our worth to the world. And yet, in all of our striving, we have lost our true identity.
The question of “Why am I here?” is one that has plagued man from the moment sin entered the world. In the mid 1600’s, the creators of The Westminster Shorter Catechism sought to help us succinctly summarize the principles of Christianity through a series of questions and answers. The very first question is, “What is the chief end of man?” The response: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
Unfortunately, in today’s world, many people have rejected the God of the Bible entirely for the god of self. We feel like our chief end in life is to figure out who we are and live our best life. We have no guidance except our own changeable feelings. And the result of this “freedom” is a culture of confusion, violence, depression, and anxiety.
Pastor Josh Whitlow closed his sermon last weekend by echoing the response from the Westminster Catechism. Our primary purpose as humans is to love and worship God. When we seek a purpose outside of serving and worshiping God, we lose who we are. The Bible, from beginning to end, is God’s love story of drawing humanity back into a loving relationship with him. Moses told the people of Israel that they were to love the Lord with all of their being (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus echoed this command during his ministry.
Matthew 22:37-38
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.”
When we begin to see God for who he really is, we begin to see ourselves in the proper perspective. When we spend our life on this earth learning to love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul, we are practicing for eternity. When we finally are drawn up to be with God, we will spend our days worshiping God. We will join the angels bowing before the Lord because he is worthy of all praise and honor. We will be known and loved completely.
Revelation 4:8
Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
Questions:
Have you been trying to define who you are apart from who God created you to be? Are you willing to allow your identity to be grounded in who you are as a child of God created to worship and adore him? If not, ask yourself “Why?”
Next Steps:
Take a few minutes today to listen to the song Echo Holy. Reflect on the lyrics. Try to imagine what it will be like to worship God in heaven.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you are holy, holy, holy. My mind cannot comprehend such majesty, yet you desire my feeble attempts at praise. My heart is constantly being torn between what I want and what you are calling me to. I pray that I can begin to understand your glory. Help me to live my life in a way that constantly brings glory to your name and draws others into a relationship with you. Take me deeper into your love. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Ecclesiastes 9:17
Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king.