Mark Twain said it best: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
Holy smokes! Let that soak in for a hot minute. I know that there are other incredible days in one’s life, and maybe some beg to differ on Twain’s quote. If you’re a believer in Christ, you may even say that the day you became a Christian was your best day ever. And maybe, it was. But maybe, it wasn’t. I kinda want to go beyond those walls right now–like, I want to go beyond the expected and comfortable.
Before you were created, whether you believe this or not, God had a master design for your life. It’s like your soul was bottled up on heavenly shelves and before you came to earth in your mother’s womb, you were already you. Your soul was already created, and ready for action. You were woven into your human/Earthly body when God saw fit. You could have been born at any point in history or the future. But you weren’t! You were born and lived on this tick mark on the timeline. Why though?
I always get amused thinking of things like: God, did you not think I could go without modern creature comforts? B.C. Old Testament times would’ve looked good on me! {Or…maybe not. Haha! Maybe that’s a HUGE NO?} Only in the last hundred years from where we are now, 2018, have times really ramped up to what we know as “modern”. But all that aside: Why you & I, why now?
Well, that’s a great question. We all know that the birth of a new baby is a beautiful thing: it’s a new little slimy human catching their first breath of this earthly atmosphere. Even for preemies in the NICU. What’s fed through those tubes/vents is still earthly air. Even for life that wasn’t desired and given straight into the arms of an adoptive family. Or, for the life that would be taken from something like SIDS {ALL too soon}. Or the new life that would be neglected and ‘forgotten’. All life that takes it’s first breath is ordained by it’s Giver–and it’s beautiful. And it’s for a reason. Make no mistake. (In it’s ugliest and prettiest forms.}
So, we covered: “the day you & I were born” from the quote. But, what about the why we were born? WHY? Well, what if it’s a bunch of different WHY’s and made into a beautiful mosaic of a life? Each act of kindness or each loving word. All that’s going to your “WHY-mosaic”. In other words: Because you existed, this piece of the mosaic is complete and in place.
The ultimate reason you and I exist is for relationship though. Beyond any other function or reason. Whether you believe in God or not–He wants relationship with you.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Twain may have been talking about our life’s accomplishments here, or goals or even talents. Like, the Babe Ruth’s of the game of baseball. It would seem he was born for baseball. (But seriously, he was INCREDIBLE. And still holds a WR in 40+ home runs!) One would think: “Eh! For sure his life’s purpose was baseball.”
Well, let me act and sound like a ‘pastor’ real quick and ask you to turn to your Bibles to Ecclesiastes. Pretty much the entire book. (I’d recommend reading it all. Right now.) It’ll bring things to perspective real quick if you have the eyes to see and ears to hear! Kicks me in the pants every.time.
Let me paraphrase especially Ecclesiastes Chapter 1:7– “ALL is vanity. All the streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.” Daaaaaang.
Do not make the mistake of misinterpreting what I am saying here. What you are doing does matter: You are making that beautiful mosaic picture of your life and your purpose here on earth.
HOWEVER! What is all of it without true relationship with God? Why are you doing what you’re doing? Some “feel” better when they’re nice and in the “handing an apple to a cardboard-carrying homeless person” stage or they are helping someone with a bill or buying them clothes. No doubt this is important and meaningful stuff. And doing this with God’s guidance of the who’s/where’s/when’s is imperative. It means you are true relationship and you are listening to that “still small voice”. {Why would such a big God make His voice ‘still small’?} That is a whole ‘nother, ‘nother. He just does. Wheeewww.
If there ever was a boat, a learning boat, I am on it. A boarding pass-carrying member. The boat of relation-over-function. The boat of heart-over-action.
I just want to learn how to put all my life’s actions/ministries UNDER my relationship. Why we were born: Relationship.
Going back to our roots in the Garden of Eden, we see this. Humanity was created just below the angels. Humanity was created for relationship. Relationship that we would choose the one TRUE God over everything else.
And there’s our answer: WHY were you born? Well, according to the Word in Ecclesiastes, all else is vanity besides one thing: Relationship with our Creator.
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