REFLECTIONS

Question to Ask Yourself

So what shall we do today? The morning is fresh. The day is new and so are we. The pursuits of yesterday can be continued with recharged vigor. Life is an adventure and we want the most from it. Having what is needed to pursue our dreams becomes a major objective, usually the primary objective of our work. But is “what shall I do today?” the question to ask, or is it a secondary one. Is the better question to ask yourself “why should I do what I choose to do today?”

Jesus told a parable of a rich man who produced a good crop only to realize his storage facilities would not hold its abundance. The crop had been planted just as those in previous years. His pursuit had always been to produce more, but the abundance of this crop exceeded his storage capacity. Only then did the rich man begin to consider what he might do with it all. Only then did he realize he had enough to sustain him for many years. He could take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry. (Luke 12:16-19)

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)

What outcome do we seek from what we do during our days on planet Earth, and what are we to do to achieve it? Steven Garber explores the question in his book, Visions of Vocation. The answers he provokes lie beyond the plans we have for any given day.

We each see the world through different lenses. Each lens is ground by the way the world has been experienced. It is shaped by what we witness, what we are taught, and what we believe. The combination of them contributes to how we feel and to the pursuit of what we want.

Wants are comprised of things we do not have—the voids or vacuums we believe necessary to make life complete. Too often we fail to think deeply enough to truly understand that many of them are the things Solomon finally discovered are meaningless.

The chase is on for the things that will bring happiness. The world persuades us that they are contained in position, power, or possessions. The question that goes unasked is the one that seeks the real purpose for wanting those things. But once asked, what follows is a progression of answers that conclude with the desire for joy that comes from living a meaningful life—one of love given and love received.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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