This morning in church, my pastor asked the question, “Do you know your WHY?” as we concluded a series on the Book of Acts. I thought it was a great topic to write about because I think many of us are confused and bewildered about our “WHY” in life.

I’ve watched many people wander around aimlessly – floundering – as though they do not have a purpose. They never seem settled in their hearts. And then when hardships come, they fall apart. 

At one time, I was the same way. Perplexed about my future and wandering around like a lost child crying out for their mom, I was searching. Searching for meaning.

Nothing made sense.

Today’s message brought it all flooding back into my spirit. I am not that same person looking for their WHY. I found it. And it made all the difference in the world.

Sadly, though, many believers haven’t found it. But here’s the thing: we don’t have to live in a state of confusion. God has given us a purpose and we will never be fully satisfied in this life unless we embrace it.

Unless we let that purpose drive us!

So, what is that purpose? What is that WHY? 

Let me begin by saying that it all starts with Jesus and what He did for you and me. And when we believe in Him and ask Him into our lives, that’s when His WHY is revealed.

That’s when His purpose rises to the surface.

As we travel through the Book of Acts, we notice that the early believers lived with a determined resolve. They understood their WHY and they governed their lives – their very existence – around it. 

As my pastor said, “They were not obsessed with getting to the “right” place. They only wanted to be heading in the right direction.” 

Here are two things to help us get to the same place as the early believers:

1)  See your life as a story. 

God does, so why shouldn’t we? And it’s not just our story, it’s God’s story. 

When we see our story as God’s story, then we will know that every detour, every dead end, and every hardship has a purpose.

God never told us that life would be easy. He did tell us, though, that He would be with us.

When we see our story as God’s story, then we will let the difficulties, the road blocks, and the winding paths work for our good. We will learn from them. We will allow God to move us along in spite of them.

No doubt, the early believers viewed their lives this way. How else would they be able to endure such harsh persecution if they hadn’t? They didn’t let it beat them into timid lambs, but they let it grow them into fierce lions, with greater determination.

2) See your story inside of God’s story!

We look at life from a frame. We see what’s inside. Here’s something to contemplate, though. Our frames are little and we rarely look outside of them. But God’s frame is much larger. 

It’s important we put our frame inside of God’s frame. God has written His story down for us. We need to live inside His story.

When Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives and bid farewell to the disciples, He issued them a GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28:18-20). In other words, He told them to go on mission with Him. 

And they did!

They didn’t always do everything right, but they never wavered. Until they breathed their last, they shared the gospel and empowered believers in truth.

The mission of Jesus hasn’t changed. 

God has put you right where you are. And it’s important we live out HIS story. Led by HIS purpose. 

Whether you are a school teacher, a stay-at-home mom, a bank teller, a store clerk, a business owner, or an executive in a powerful company, you are called to be on mission with Jesus.

Jesus’ mission is to point people to HIM. Tell them about the resurrected Jesus who set you free from your sins.

Jesus’ mission is not just for the pastors, Bible teachers, ministry leaders, and church directors. It’s for everyone. In the place God has put you.

This is our WHY! This is our MEANING! How we do it may differ. But the mission is still the same. 

So, let’s make sure to put our story inside of God’s story. Let’s live this way. I guarantee when we do this, our hearts will be settled. We won’t flounder any more.

And we’ll have greater joy with less confusion. We will let HIS story dictate ours. 

Now, isn’t this something to think about? Isn’t this an awesome way to live?

It’s the way God intended it. 

Have a blessed day,