When you take a walk or drive to work have you ever wondered about your surroundings? What is going on with the stranger who just passed me? Who are they? What are their struggles, joys, and dreams? What do bees think about as they flit from flower to flower gathering nectar? How long has that tree been there? What stories could it tell as a bystander of history? Everything in our world has a purpose. God designed it that way. Nothing just exists. Living things are meant to grow, thrive, and contribute to their ecosystem. You are meant to grow, change, and become all God designed you to be. Are you progressing toward that?
Although we all default to living for ourselves rather than God, you shouldn’t stay that way, because it kills you, harms others, and dishonors God. Wherever you are developmentally don’t be satisfied staying there. Adopt a growth mindset. Learn a new skill. Cultivate deeper relationships. Work around obstacles. Become stronger. What God gives you and works in you, give it away and work it out (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). Don’t seek glory; give glory. Don’t preserve your life; lay it down for God and others (John 15:13; Luke 9:23-26). Don’t dwell on the temporary; focus on the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Replace your goals and ambitions with God’s mission of saving people (Matthew 6:33). Let God change your destination from hell to heaven. He is calling you to a much greater, more abundant life with him which lasts forever (John 10:10). Jesus, God the Son, who became a man to die and rise again makes that possible. Anyone who trusts and obeys Jesus moves out of the dark, lostness of this world, away from the dead end of self-centeredness, and into the light and true life of fellowship with God (John 1:1-14, 3:16, 8:12). Jesus saves you from the wrath of God due to your sinful rebellion. He restores your brokenness and develops you through struggles. He teaches you how to live rightly and how to love God and others before yourself. He trains you to carry out his mission of reconciliation. In the process he transforms you to become like himself which far exceeds anything you could achieve or become on your own (John 14:26, 15:9-17, 16:7-14; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21). When Jesus returns to earth to consummate his kingdom, believers will reign with him. They will joyfully serve him and others as a part of his royal family in glorious blessing and celebration throughout eternity (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Revelation 19:11-21:8; Daniel 7:27).
I know it sounds almost too good to be true. But it is true. Jesus has saved millions of people already. Even this week, people all around you are finding and following Jesus. He accomplished or will accomplish everything I just mentioned for those who trust and obey him. Out of love for you he held nothing back. He unconditionally offered himself to be hated, rejected, betrayed, beaten, slandered, and abandoned on your behalf. He gave his life on a cross and took your sin upon himself in order to save you (2 Corinthians 5:21). He has a perfect, ever faithful record of carrying out the will of God and fulfilling every one of his promises. So, the question is not so much what will God do—he has made that clear by graciously inviting you to join his family through Jesus as written in the Bible. The question is what will you do? Will you root yourself in Jesus by faith and grow or reject Jesus and wither away? (John 15:1-8).
Progress and meaning in life is not found in fulfilling yourself, but rather in yielding to God and emptying yourself, so he can fill you with himself. I concur with the Westminster catechism which states that the chief end of humankind is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. A key part of glorifying and enjoying God is giving of yourself. As you give out what God works in he transforms you to become like Jesus, who is the greatest giver and the most treasured destiny. Robert Ingersoll captured this truth when he wrote, “We rise by lifting others.” A baby was never meant to stay in the womb. A baby should become a child and a child should mature into an adult. By necessity children receive much. But as they develop into adults, they should give much. Like Jesus, I consider giving of myself, a joyful opportunity rather than an obligation. One of my primary blessings as a parent and teacher is playing a role in helping my children and students grow. Are you helping others reach their potential? Are you giving what you receive—sharing your time, treasure, and talent so others can grow? Doing so benefits others, but it also helps you grow even more, all to the glory of God.
I desire to grow in God each day by trusting and obeying Jesus and sharing him with others. I want to be like the apostle Paul who wrote, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). What is your purpose? Are you growing and progressing as a person? Are you developing a deeper relationship with God who is the source of life and all that is good, right, and loving? If not, why not start today? Just ask God to forgive you of any wrongdoing and then trust and obey him to do what’s right and to develop into the wonderful person he designed you to be in Jesus. Every day that’s the grandest adventure and the most worthwhile progress you can experience.