The Purpose-Given Life

"What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him fully forever." (Westminster Catechism)

How many times have you heard a celebrity, a politician, a schoolkid, or even just your neighbor say they wanted to help change the world? I've heard that a lot. It's a vague altruism that passes for purpose in our society, one defined more and more by the pursuit of pleasure, existential experience, and having more stuff than we know what to do with. "Made in China" anyone? In this context, when a person says they want to change the world, it's a good thing - it shows a healthy rebellion against hedonism. But I think that often the person is just latching onto the lowest common denominator of life-definition, one that is "cool" enough for even teenagers to espouse and "deep" enough for adults to do the same. And at some level, it may betray a guilty conscience, unassauged by the redemption offered freely through Jesus Christ, striving to bring about a personally salvific karma through good works alone.

The Copier Moment.

 I don't begrudge anyone for wanting their lives to have meaning. I think we all need purpose, and I've never met a pure hedonist who would settle for pleasure alone. (Ok, maybe one, but his charitable actions belie his stated beliefs.) I met this question in my own life on stark terms in what I call "The Copier Moment." I was making copies at the law firm where I worked two years out of college - mindlessly watching the duplicate papers slide into the output tray - and I thought, "I went to school for four years, read thousands of pages, wrote dozens of papers, crammed for long exams, for this? Really?" That was a long time ago. Now, I supervise the folks making the copies, and every once in a while I see that same light bulb go off over their head. And then they leave and go to graduate school to "change the world." 

If I had known then what I know now...and that is simply that my purpose in life is to glorify God. I exist to know God because He is good enough to let me know Him. Praising and thanking Him is part of knowing and relation to Him. And the more I know of Him, the more I want to praise Him! The Westminster Catechism, a series of questions and answers about basic Christian doctrine written in the 1600s, succinctly expresses this truth. I know I am doing what I was always meant to do when I glorify God. Praise is one means of doing so, as the Pslamist says: "To praise God is to glorify God."

I don't have to accomplish anything for my life to have meaning. I don't need to change the world to have purpose. My purpose-given life is to worship the Lord God Almighty - Creator, Redeemer, Friend.

P.S. If you are interested in learning more about how praising God can both change and define your life, I encourage you to listen to this teaching by Andrew Wommack: The Primary Purpose of Prayer. It literally changed my life, ushering in profound joy as I learned how and why to praise God. The teaching is available free at: http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1042