The Big Chase

I was recently asked what the purpose of life is. What gets me out of bed every morning. Great question. One, I feel is exclusive for human beings. We tend to think, more than any other creature, about the “why” of things. We explore, discover, innovate, create, and find life in doing things outside of ourselves.

Yet it is imperative to think about what one is heading towards. What’s the big picture. What are we chasing?

Fame, fortune, pleasure, comfort, doesn’t exactly fit into the big picture stuff. There needs to be a purpose that transcends the temporal, here and now, all-about-me kinda thinking. A legacy too is a worthy goal to have but how long does the memory of one last? And doesn’t it take just a few short days or even moments to throw away years of hardwork?

Why help the poor? Why smile at our neighbours? Why build, create, heal and lead well? What am I chasing?

In Mathew 6, Jesus reveals God as our Heavenly Father. And describes for us what this Father is like. He says that we can’t serve both God and money. And then he urges his listeners to not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and dust destroy. How true? Just as those who burnt up cash in the wake of the demonetisation or the customers of PMC bank who dont have access to all their money. Ask the high fliers of HDIL who were just arrested because of the way they defrauded the RBI. Moth and dust can really destroy.

He then said, store your treasures in heaven. How does one do that? We get an idea from Mathew 19:21 from Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler where he said

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:21

Check that out! The way to make deposits in heaven is to give to the poor. And like I mentioned in a previous blog regarding our mission, the poor are all around us – not just the monetarily poor. They are the relationally poor, the educationally poor, and most importantly – the spiritually poor. All poverty is a breakdown of relationships. And what Jesus is trying to say here is that the key to storing up possessions in heaven is by first restoring relationship. The first and foremost relationship being, the one with our maker.

If one makes money the sole end of life, or even personal happiness as one’s purpose, the mistake is of making oneself the center of one’s world. We tend to think, believe and pursue the lie that we are the center of the world. Much like the astronomers of old who believed that the earth was the center of the universe. It takes humility to understand and accept that instead of the world having to orient itself around us, we are actually created to orient our lives around someone much more bigger, wiser and stronger than ourselves – God himself. This life is not about me. It’s about Him. And what he wants for my life. This goes against the grain of what most people expect life to be about.

That’s why Jesus said, you don’t have to waste your life running after and praying for wealth, and possessions. “But”, he said, “seek first the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.” Orient your life around possessions and we will be sorely disappointed. I heard someone say today that we spend our health to gain money and then we go one to spend our money to gain our health back. Makes one wonder, doesn’t it? Orient your life around Him, and you will fulfil your life’s calling, which may involve family, possessions, money, legacy and such – but this isn’t for us, it’s for him who is working in the world to bring it back to His purposes for life and living.

Are we placing ourselves in the center of our world? Where every relationship, choice, and pursuit is for our personal happiness? Or is there something greater that God is calling us to orient our lives around?

Pray with me, “Lord, Let your Kingdom Come, and your will be done in my life, family, job, choices, finances, in every area, let my life reflect the effect of your rule in me.”