Why Do You Think You’re Here?
Why do you think you’re here?
We often wander. Trying to figure things out. Make sense of who we are.
So many of us question our existence. We wonder why we’re here. What our purpose is.
We often wander. From job to job. Relationship to relationship. Friendship to friendship. City to city. Church to church.
We’re trying to figure things out. Make sense of who we are.
We also wonder how to treat others well. We may even struggle to relate to those we care about most. Perhaps we hesitate because we sense what feels like a wall separating us. This confuses us. We’re not sure why it’s there.
The thing is, so much of what Jesus spoke about is for others. Intentionally, He’s trying to get us to come outside ourselves. For some of us, it’s outside our heads. Jesus wants us to engage in relationship. In all forms…with God, others, and even ourselves. First century Middle Eastern culture was defined first and foremost by community. A.k.a. others. Western individualism was not a part of their way of life. Neither was social media sensational egoism. Instead, people lived with others. Real people. Every day. Relationally. For a reason. For a purpose.
Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth . . . Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world . . . Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven (Matt 5:13-14,16 MSG).
Here Jesus tells us to be salt and light. Why? Well, according to Jesus, as we open up to others, we’ll prompt them to open up with God. It’s a relational generosity of self so that others will come to know God.
Our lives and relationships do not have to be separated by walls or compartments. They can be intertwined, interrelated. In fact, our life can touch and influence others’ lives every day. Think about it, if someone treats you with kindness, even if it’s just with a smile, doesn’t it prompt something in you?
How we treat others, how we relate to others, matters. Genuinely matters. Human to human. Human to God. It “prompts people to open up with God.”
This is why we are here. It’s not rocket science or so philosophical we can’t understand it. It’s plain. It’s clear. And it literally has the ability to transform our lives with healing and deeper, healthier relationships, and a more accurate understanding of who we are in the context of others.
