Purpose

Awhile ago a friend asked me to help him flesh out the topic purpose. He specifically asked me to think of 5 questions on the subject. Now of course when he asked me the question it had already been a log day. So I didn't get the chance to muse on the subject that night because I was fried. So I spent the evening watching Johny Depp in the first two installments of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" and laughing/entertaining myself to death.

The next morning I got the opportunity to think on what my friend had asked of me and the only question I could come up with was the same question, the first question the authors of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) started with. This question is the question I believe we all should start with when considering purpose.

Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Here's the problem; Today the word purpose has become synonymous with words like famous or happy. Now don't misunderstand me, there's absolutely nothing wrong with desiring to be happy or famous but when they become the purpose of our existence, we lose our soul.

The question the authors of the WSC asked is the same question we need to ask and reconcile within ourselves. If we don't get the answer to this question right, then it really doesn't matter what we do. Why? Because when we don't get the question right, God doesn't get the glory, we do. We may obtain success. We may become famous. We may even obtain a level of happiness we never dreamed of. But the glory would not go to God.

When we purpose to live a life that glorifies God, we find ourselves right in the purpose God created us for. Paul the apostle put it like this in 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."