As a people, we keep asking a few fundamental questions.
Where did I come from?
Why am I here?
Where am I going from here?
Individually and corporately we ask these questions over and over again. Given the amount of time and effort we spend on them, they must be important.
I would propose that how accurately we answer these questions has a profound effect on how we live our lives and how much joy and satisfaction we draw from it.
I would propose that how happy YOU are……..right now, depends on how well you have dealt with these questions.
Today, I’m thinking about question #2. “Why am I here?”
Look at somebody you know who is miserable and has been that way forever. Odds are, he either hasn’t considered the question at all, or has answered it badly. An example would be the guy who believes that he is here to accumulate “status and stuff” (I’ve been there). He may be wildly successful in pursuing what he sees as his purpose (I was). And yet, he cannot seem to grasp that evanescent thing that he is after……deep down. Satisfaction……..joy………. they just seem to elude him. He keeps accumulating more stuff and still isn’t satisfied. He buries himself in his work. Then, one morning, he wakes up………old, tired, alienated, unhappy, and unfulfilled. This dynamic is behind a lot of “midlife crises”…….and, ladies, it’s not just limited to men.
Look at somebody you know who is filled with joy……..all day, every day. (OK maybe not every day…… but most days). Odds are that she has found the place where she just “fits in”. She has gifts, talents, some great, some small. But, here’s the main thing. She uses them to make things better for everybody in her world. She may not have “stuff”……she may experience setbacks; but, there is something about the way that she uses her gifts that gives her joy and satisfaction. Sounds a bit like “love your neighbor” doesn’t it?
How will you know these people when you see them? They will either radiate joy…….. or sadness. And here is another key feature….. their joy or sadness will be relatively independent of their situation. I often tell people that I have a fairly rare skill set…….I have figured out how to be happy. And yet, 2 of my 3 sons died in their 30’s. My one living son was crippled in a motorcycle accident.
What’s the trick?
The trick is to know the answer to the question……”why am I here?”.
I know the answer……. for me.
You have to figure it out ……… for you.
Or you could just ignore it………. you might get lucky. You might just stumble into the very special place that you fit into.
Here is some help in figuring out the answer to the question “why am I here?”
The answer is permanent……….it cannot be taken away from you…….by natural disaster, by financial ruin, by being put in jail, by the death of a loved one, by divorce, by disease or injury, by betrayal, by mistake.
The answer is not something that you get to choose. It is something that you have already been given……… you were born with it. It is “written on your heart”. If you are science oriented you would say that it is instinctive. If you are feelings oriented, you would call it your destiny. This really goes against the “mantra” of our age: “I am the center of the universe…….. the captain of my fate………my self fulfillment is the ultimate goal…….it’s all about me”.
The answer will lead you to the special place where you need to be.
The things that the answer leads you to do are not directed toward you. Paradoxically, they are directed away from you. This is what makes finding the answer so hard……especially in our “me centered” culture. The benefit to you is indirect. You reach out…… you give……..without preconditions. There is no “quid pro quo”. Satisfaction and joy come back to you………again, without preconditions.
You already know the answer. If you deeply search your heart, you can find it……though you may have been resisting it for your entire life.
You will know when you have found it………because you will suddenly experience a deep abiding sense of satisfaction and joy………peace that transcends your situation.
So………why am I here?
I am here…….I was created…….. for relationship with God……….Abba………..my Dad. Sounds like “love God” doesn’t it?
On the days when I pursue that relationship well………I am joyful……….other days……… not so much.
So……… why are YOU here?