Regardless of when and where we are born, God’s principles and laws apply to every generation. We should be like the careful Farmer who begins with the end in mind as he plans and works for an abundant harvest. Keeping our end in mind is the act of intentionally choosing to keep our why, purpose, or destination in front of us. Once we figure out our “why,” we can attend to what needs done and how to do it. The end must come before the means. One word of caution, goals are not whys. Goals are important and necessary, but they often fall short of lending life, meaning, and purpose. There must be more to our why than simply to live in a state of abundance in areas of health, finances, relationships, and knowledge. There must be a higher purpose if we are to remain fully engaged working in the fields under the hot sun or the office until late into the evening. The farmer’s goal might be to have an abundant harvest, but this does not answer the why question. The world has been lying to us. Money, power, and fame cannot meet our deepest desires for meaning. A man can pour himself into his work and survive another winter, many winters, and come to the end of his life miserable and alone.
Discovering our why is not simply a snapshot of where we want to be or imagining a certain future for ourselves. Our purpose begins with the awareness of our part in God’s epic story and ends in a lifetime of relationship with Him. He is the Creator, and we are the created. God is the source of all of our resources. He is sustainer and provider. He revealed himself to mankind through His only begotten Son, Jesus, to take away the sins of the world. God is love. He is a good father who can be trusted.
We are not required to be certain that the omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God above all time and eternity cares about us and is calling us into a relationship with Himself as a prerequisite to discovering our why. We are, instead, invited to believe. Belief requires choosing by faith. Certainty does not require faith. The Farmer is never assured of a harvest until his barns are full. Many things can go wrong until then. Floods, drought, insects, or poor seed can all effect the harvest, but, thank goodness, the harvest is not the why. God’s glory is our why and it is reflected in relationship. When we adopt this conclusion and allow it to permeate every area of our lives, life opens up to us in fresh ways. When we embrace God on His terms, we are like the blind man who suddenly receives his sight and sees in color. With God as our why, we are as little children filled with wonder and expectancy. As we learn to trust Him, our lives change in big and small ways. We make new friendships and become aware of our stewardship of time, talents, and treasures. We ask different questions. More than anything, when God becomes our why, we want to spend time with and please Him. We want to align with His Kingdom agenda in every area of our lives. When pleasing God is our end, we will never be alone, and our lives will mean more than we ever imagined. We come alive and become who we were designed to be when God is our why.
– by Richard Harwood from RE:sist
