WHY?

Have you ever motivated yourself towards a life changing goal? Perhaps it was to run a 5K, to lose weight, to get healthy, to get out of debt, to put yourself through school, to obtain a degree, or maybe it was something else? With each of these things there is a reason and a purpose that drives it. There is a why. Think of a time you were motivated to do something big in your life and then think about why you wanted to do it. Now, hold that thought in the back of your mind and fasten your seatbelt for a glimpse into my mind for a moment. Hey, I told you to fasten your seatbelt.


More often than not, I have felt a determination to do something big in my life. I have felt determined to make changes to better myself. I did very well at first, making good decisions and working towards the goal. Even when little bumps came, I still persevered and kept moving towards the goal. I had a vision and I was determined to make it happen, but when the bumps became bigger and bigger and my life circumstances got in the way, it made that goal look like I had to ascend a mountain in order to make it. When this happened, I have found myself getting frustrated, reverting back to my old way of doing things, and letting go of the vision I had in mind. I’ll admit it right now, I’m a quitter. When things don’t go the way I have planned and when the odds seem stacked against me, more often than not, I choose to quit, to give up, to let go of the dreams and visions I had for myself because they seem too difficult to attain. Despite how my life circumstances appeared, what really happened is that I lost sight of my, “why”. What is the purpose of doing anything big without knowing why you are doing it? It is a powerful motivation tool that can help you keep going despite the odds.


Think of Jesus. God loved us, and sent his son to die on the cross to pay in full the ransom for all, to reestablish our pathway and connection to God whom we were separated from because of our sin. Jesus had a vision. He was to sacrifice his own life. He had a why. It was YOU. It was ME. It was that person who just cut you off on the highway. It was that homeless veteran living on the street. It was that woman at work, you know which one, the one who just rubs you the wrong way. It was that child orphaned because of civil war and unrest. It was that heroin addict who just can’t seem to make any good decisions in life. It was that Muslim who just wants to serve God, but is confused on who the God really is. Jesus had many whys. He was tempted to quit, to give up. People weren’t listening to him. People judged him and spoke harshly and falsely about him. He was arrested and beaten to near death because he was not willing to let go of the vision his Father had given him. He was to die on the cross and he did. He fixed his eyes on the why. He looked deeply into the hearts of the 12 men in front of him, the Samaritan woman, the Pharisees, Pilot, Barabbas, and he knew he had to keep going no matter the cost. He wasn’t going to let anything get in the way. Jesus was determined. Jesus persevered no matter what was thrown in his way.
As I sit here and think about my vision, the life changing goals I have for my life, I can’t help to think about Jesus and how he persevered. How he met every obstacle with sheer determination and love. He never lost sight of the why. He never lost sight of YOU of ME. He kept going.


I can’t help but to ask myself the question, WHY? Why am I letting little obstacles, or even bigger ones get in the way of my vision, my goals, and my dreams? It’s time again to focus on my whys. It’s time to write them all out and place them where I can see them every day. Where I can’t lose sight of them, no matter what comes my way. This is how I learn to persevere. This is how I work my way towards a goal, never losing sight of WHY I started working towards it in the first place. Remember that goal, that vision you had for your life? Remember your whys? Are you ready to write them down?

I think Paul says it best.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. (Philippians 3:12-16, NLT; Emphasis mine)

I PRESS ON. I FOCUS. I LOOK FORWARD. I PRESS ON.
I HOLD ON TO PROGRESS. I PERSEVERE. I ACCOMPLISH. I WIN.

What Does it Mean to Delight Yourself in the Lord?

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Working in a prayer center has been interesting. My eyes have been opened on more than one occasion to the frail state of man, and the absolute need for God. People call in for various things; financial blessing, healing, restoration of relationships, protection, peace, etc. They are bogged down by the things in life that just aren't going according to plan for them. They are fearful, angry, worried, hurting, sick, and confused. More often than not, some people call in for prayer, but they really don't want prayer. What they really want is for God to do things their way, quickly. It is for these people I am deeply burdened for. The fact is, God is Jehovah Jireh, The Lord provides. He is able to provide all that we need, this is the truth, however, somewhere along the lines people have become confused about WHO is really in control.


We all know who Santa Claus is. (Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas- big guy, white beard, red suit, reindeer, jolly) When the Christmas season arrives, children line up to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas, and Santa, (or the child's parents) the generous giver that he is, provides the child with exactly what they wanted. It works like a charm! Get yourself a Genie and you get three wishes to have anything that you want. Just request it and it is yours, no questions asked. It works like magic. Then you have an ATM machine. Need cash? Go to the ATM machine and request it (only if you have it) and you will receive it (again, only if it is there). In each of these scenarios, you are ultimately the one who is in control of what you receive. It's glorious! Here's the thing, God is NOT Santa Claus, even though he desires to bless his children with good gifts. God is NOT a genie. His supernatural power and authority go far beyond anything a genie could grant. God is not a never ending ATM. You can only get what you put in.


So when you see the verse, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” That does not mean that God will give you everything that you want, but he will give you everything you need. Sure God loves to bless his children with gifts, and he is far more generous than any Santa Claus, genie, or ATM could be, but God is not here to be at our beckon call. We are not in control of him. So, what does this passage mean? To start, let's take a look at Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, They are plans for good and not for disaster (to prosper and not to harm), to give you a future and a hope.”

The truth is that God does have specific plans for each one of his children. He has plans for you. He loves you, but to receive his love, fully (and I'm not saying he doesn't love you if you don't accept it) you must do something with that knowledge. It is not merely enough to know it, you must do something with it in order for it to really be effective in your life. To see his plans fully, you must do something with the knowledge that he has plans for you, and that's trust him.


There was a point in my life where the mere mention of this verse angered me so much because everyone was quoting it to me in one of the most desperate times of my life. I became angry because God wasn't doing things my way, and he certainly wasn't giving me what I wanted. I remember feeling convicted that God's Word was making me so vehemently angry so I went to talk to my Pastor about it. Pastor Heath, looked at me, and with some of the most compassion I have ever felt expressed towards me said, “I hate it when people only quote a portion of scripture and leave out some of the most important parts.” He explained to me that ,in context, the people of Israel were entering a period of 77 years of adversity. God wanted to fill them with the hope that he had a plan for it, that he loved them, he would be there, and that everything would be okay. Jeremiah 29:12-14 continues,

“In those days, when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you, says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you, and bring you home again to your own land.”

As Pastor Heath read this, I began to weep, even more than I already was because it became clear to me, that yes, God had plans for me, and they are good plans, and they are plans to help me, BUT I needed to be seeking Him. There was something that I needed to do. I needed to do my part, and I was not. I wanted God to come in and rescue me without my having to do anything, but that is just not the way a real genuine relationship with the Lord works. It takes time. It takes sacrifice. You must give all that you have and all that you are to receive all that HE has for you. You must hold nothing back and give to God everything you have, your burdens, your possessions, your life and then watch him work.


This is what delighting in the Lord really is. Keeping your eyes fixed on Him, letting Him have full control, and trusting that He has your best interest in mind because he always does. God is not oblivious to your needs. He is not unaware of the things you long for, but ultimately he desires for you to make him your first priority. God is a jealous God and he wants all of you, even those parts that are not perfect, even those parts that are sinful. God wants ALL of you. When you delight yourself in the Lord, the desires that are in your heart start to change to reflect the ones that he has for your life. They change because trusting in the Lord, and depending on the Lord fully and completely, changes you.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and he will help you." (Psalm 37:5)

God wants to help you, but he wants you to trust him more. He wants to bless you, but he wants you to seek Him more. I firmly believe that God knows what we want, he knows what we need, but he would much rather help us get to the root cause of the problem, and help us deal with that wound and that area of our life than to slap a band-aid on the problem and allow us to walk further away from him and further into darkness. Struggling with your finances? Maybe God wants to teach you how to budget and handle a small amount of money, trusting in Him for your daily bread, before he blesses you with the income you want. Being a good steward of what you have is important and wise. Struggling with feeling alone? Perhaps God wants you to get to know Him and fully depend on him before he sends someone in your life to marry. Marriage is a serious commitment. It takes a lot of work. You are going to need God's help, so better get to know where and who your help comes from first.

Look, I know first hand that life is tough and I don't have all the answers, but I know who does. I am not about to explain away anything you've experienced or are experiencing and I wont explain away or dismiss your pain. God knows what you are going through. The truth is, God can and does perform miracles daily and it rains on the just and the unjust alike. He loves you and nothing in all the earth can ever take that away from you.


The financial burdens you face, the fact that you want to be married and are still painfully single, the illness you are struggling with, the addiction you just can't seem to beat, and the loved one lost too soon that you still grieve, are in no way, shape, or form, a reflection of how much God loves you. If you have a healthy bank account, a wonderful job, a beautiful family, and perfect health, that is in no way, shape, or form, a reflection of how much God loves you. God's love isn't based on what you have or don't have. His love for you is based solely on who he is. God is love. He loves you, regardless of whether or not you choose to love him. He wants you to whole and healed, more than he wants to give you all those things you wish you had.

"The Lord is with you, he is mighty to save. He delights in you with gladness. With his love he calms all of your fears. He rejoices over you with joyful songs." (Zephaniah 3:17)

The Lord delights in YOU. (just as you are) The question is, are you willing to delight yourself in the Lord?