What On Earth Am I Here For?

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation.

—Psalm 79:13

I was speaking with a fellow Believer yesterday who had recently had surgery. He said he nearly died in the process, and the experience made an impact on his life that left him feeling like maybe the Lord was giving him a second chance. He told me that he worked in sales, but that now he was beginning to reevaluate his life. He said, “You know, I’m beginning to wonder if I should be doing this anymore. I’m wondering what I should do with my life.” He felt like maybe being a salesperson wasn’t spiritual enough now.

I think sometimes when people have near death experiences, it affects them deeply, spiritually speaking causing them to contemplate the reason for our existence. I have often told our church family that no one on their death bed ever says, “Oh I wish I could just get a few more hours in at work before I die.” Being in the ministry for as long as I have been I have heard many stories and most people I have spoken with come away from near death experiences trying to determine the “thing” they believe God saved them to do. I always find it interesting that people feel this urgency to do something, but few come away from these moments on becoming someone.

This particular man became acutely aware that God spared his life and put him on this earth for a reason. He just hadn’t figured it out yet. After listening to him wrestle with a variety of ideas I told him, I think I know the answer as to why God placed you here. With eyes wide open and with his full undivided attention he said, “please, tell me“. I said, “I believe God put you here to glorify Him.” After a couple of minutes of back and forth conversation I went on to say, “Glorifying God is why you’re here. There will come a day when you realize that life is more about significance than it is about success.” As we talked he came to understand that life isn’t so much about our doing something for God than it is doing life with God, knowing and experiencing Jesus in every facet of our lives.

The bottom line is this. Maybe the goal of your life and mine today isn’t about doing more for God but becoming more, namely more aware, aware of God’s presence in and around you. Maybe this guys surgery was nothing more than an opportunity for him to become aware of God’s presence in his life, even when he was under anesthesia. Isn’t that the thought that overwhelmed the heart of the psalmist in Psalm 139: 7-12, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”

Consider this today, friend. Maybe you and I are here on earth today to do less for God and more with God, and the best way to glorify God is to know Him. Walk with Him, enjoy Him and allow the Spirit of God to make known to you great and mighty things today, things you know not of, just as Jesus said He would.
 
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

I LOVE YOU!