THE WHY BEHIND THE WHAT

We all live Monday-to-Friday lives.  In office cubicles, on job sites, in hospital wards, classrooms, courthouses and homes.  We can be inspired in a Church service only to wake the next day needing to separate our Sunday experience from our Monday reality.  We go to work.  We make a living.  We do our shifts, rosters, roles and tasks. 

What does all this mean on Monday? We have to be able to answer one key question,

“What is the why behind the what?” 

Answering that question will settle a great many things in our lives.

You know, the kingdom of God needs the best!  We need qualified, skillful, trained and excellent people in every market place and in each of the seven pillars of society (Arts & Entertainment, Business, Education, Family, Government, Media and Religion).

Proverbs 14: 26 & 34
The fear of God makes a world safe for your children… God devotion makes a country strong

In order for our nations to be strong, in order for generations to grow into well-rounded, protected, healthy, whole individuals we must fight for the standard of God in our culture.

We live right now in a day where there are many, many convincing voices speaking into our culture.  The only problem I have with what I am hearing is that there are not enough qualified and reputed Christian voices countering the arguments.

We live in a day where we need to stand up and defend our faith; the Cross and all it stands for. 

We need Politicians, Journalists, Entrepreneurs, Teachers, Scientists, Psychologists, Actors, Writers, Singers, Judges, Lawyers, Doctors, Specialists, Designers, Pharmacists, Inventors, Mothers, Fathers, Lecturers, Researchers, Commentators, Senators, Ministers, Prime Ministers, Policy Writers, Brokers, Athletes, Managers, Chartered Accountants, CEOs, Directors, Investors and the rest who, like Proverbs 14 highlights, lead from a place of devotion and reverence to God.

I caution this: 
Success does not bring satisfaction; Purpose does.

Climbing ladders and acquiring accolades are futile plights without footing in purpose.  Many people are successful in a career, earn a good dollar off it, yet suffer from a lack of passion. 

This is because passion comes from purpose.  When you live with purpose rising out of bed in the morning is no longer a difficult thing, you don’t have to wind yourself up each day because you know you exist for a purpose.

While some wake up to an alarm others wake up to a calling

 

In First Kings chapter three God appeared to the young King Solomon who had just inherited the throne of Israel from his father David.  God asked Solomon what request he could grant him and Solomon asked for wisdom.  He wanted to grasp the WHY behind every WHAT in his new role as King.

This 20-year-old King knew that if he was going to do the job well he would need wisdom beyond his years.  God heard him and granted not only his request, but also all the trimmings of fame and wealth thrown in. (Yes, influence, wealth and fame may come of it but they are not the motivation or the source of satisfaction.)

Psalm 72 was King Solomon’s prayer for influence, which he prayed referring to himself in the third person.  He asked for wisdom, fame, influence, notoriety, legacy and then revealed his motivation behind it all:

Psalm 72: 12-14 (MSG)
He (the King) will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.

The purpose of influence is to make the world better!  That’s the why!!

CAN’T KEEP YOURSELF HAPPY BY TRYING TO KEEP YOURSELF HAPPY – BUT GIVE YOUR LIFE AWAY FOR OTHERS AND YOU’LL FIND FULFILLMENT OF PURPOSE

 

Mark 10:45 (NKJV)
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

The world today is starved for this kind of leadership.  Whether you sit in chambers and write policy for our nation, or teach young minds in a classroom, bandage wounds or fashion timber, you are there for a reason.  You must be great at what you do.  You must realize the why behind all you put your hand to – always to the benefit of someone else.

• I know solicitors who volunteer pro-bono hours to the needy.
• I know fashion stylists who volunteer to dress refugees for job interviews.
• I know CEOs who volunteer on School Boards.
• It was a contracted carpenter who came down off his step ladder and reached out to my mother in her hour of need.  Little did she know that the tradesman she hired to would lead her to Jesus in the lounge room she was paying him to renovate.

Don’t shy away from the greatness you are called to.  You are more powerful than you realize.  I’m not asking you to “do more” I’m asking you to have a revelation of the enormous capacity Heaven ordained for you. Don’t warm a pew on Sunday and spend your waking moments “making ends meet”.  You're here for more than that.

It’s not too late, too soon, or too lofty.

Remember this: If He’s in it, He’ll grace you for it too.  His vested interest is even greater than yours.  He wants to bring Hope to a desperate world – through you and me.

Aim higher. 
Dream bigger.  
Make it count.

What is the WHY behind your WHAT? 

"While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!"
-WILLIAM BOOTH, FOUNDER OF THE SALVATION ARMY

[Inspired by Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life, and David R High, Kings and Priests]