“People lose their way when they lose their why.”
Gail Hyatt
It is easy to follow God in the good times but what happens when suffering and pain comes? Are the “whys” in your life strong enough to carry you through?
Question we are all trying to answer in this life is, “Why?”
Over the next three weeks I want to focus on three “Why’s” that are relevant to my life and hope you can relate to as well.
Why follow God?
Why am I in ministry/vocation?
Why am I married?
So the question for this week is: “Why follow God?”
Or ask it this way, “Does Jesus really matter?”
“Why or does it really matter if I have Jesus in my life?”
“What does He do for me?”
“Can’t I have purpose without Him?”
“What if my life is good without Him?”
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.“
Jesus -John 15:5
So why does Jesus matter? Do you really need Him in your life?
I can be “good” without Him, right?
I can live a good life without Him so what’s the point? Eternity, buddy!
But is that all? I should follow Jesus so I don’t go to Hell?
What good is Jesus now? What does God really add to my life now?
HOPE! No other religion can offer this. And NOTHING in this world can give you this kind of hope!
Hope that does not disappoint. (Romans 5:1-5)
But is this the wrong question to be asking:
“What can I get from God?” I makes it all about you.
Should we instead be asking, “What can I give to God?”
The only answer is everything, because He gave everything for us.
Ok that’s great, but I will ask the question again: Why follow God?
Is it only to experience peace, joy and happiness?
Is it getting God to fill a hole in our lives?
Or is it to realize that we all are a broken sinners in need of a Savior and our only hope is God who sent his Son, Jesus, to die to save us all? (Romans 5:6-10)
The question we all must answer for ourselves and in the end we will all have to give an account for our answer to this question: “Why follow God?”
Listen to how J.I. Packer answers this question:
“What makes life worth while is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold our allegiance; and this the Christian has, in a way that no other man has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?”
And lastly here is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. You have Simon Peter’s answer to the question: “Why follow God?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:68-69
So, what’s your WHY?