From “Christ is Everything to His Followers.” Used also in counseling and prison ministry.
Imagine trying to put together a puzzle without a picture to visualize what it should look like. It’s almost impossible to complete. Thankfully, the Bible teaches: Our primary purpose as human beings is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. That single sentence summarizes many Scripture passages about honoring the Lord, such as the following:
Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)….Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him….Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving….Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17,23,24; 1 Peter 1:15–16)
The Scriptures teach that it’s also good for us to glorify the Lord; we are blessed when we serve Him. Supreme love to Christ makes duty and pleasure identical (Thomas Murphy). Psalm 73:23–28 says:
I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. Those who desert Him will perish….But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
When we forget our God-ordained purpose, we live out of whack. Imagine that someone wins a refrigerator in a raffle, but they don’t know what a fridge is made for. So they park it on the front porch to show off to neighbors and store their shoes in it. Misunderstanding the refrigerator’s purpose causes the owner to misuse it and miss the intended benefit. A refrigerator has power to keep food from spoiling and to keep food fresh for our nourishment and pleasure. Why not use it rightly?
If people never understand or forget (intentionally or unintentionally) that Jesus Christ has made us to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever, we get lost in God’s world—we don’t know who we are, whose we are, where we are, and where we are going. St. Augustine declared, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We get in touch with reality only when we understand our purpose—created by God to love Him, serve Him, follow Him in this world and forever afterward in Heaven. That’s our lifetime task and the way to lasting joy. And the Lord has given us the Bible as His road map, His chart and compass, His lamp to guide our feet and His light for our path.
The holy Scriptures make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15–17)
Thanks-giving is good; thanks-living is better! That’s our purpose in life! Go in peace, beloved. Walk with King Jesus today and be a blessing to others!