What’s your why? This is a very important question to consider. We all have a reason for getting up everyday and doing what we do. Someone or something drives us to keep going. Who or what is it for you?
In our daily life we have to balance the calls to meet our responsibilities and fulfill our God-given purpose. Sometimes it may feel like these two calls are competing for our time, energy and resources. Many times it may feel impossible to keep up with all that we have to do for our families and for ourselves from purely a survival standpoint and still be able to heed the calling of our passions and purpose.
At the end of the day, we can look back on the choices we made and trace each one to a reason for making that specific decision. This person needed this or that had to get done or that’s what I really wanted to do. It’s imperative that we evaluate the driving force behind our decisions and determine who it is. Because ultimately, there are two people we do things for: ourselves and God. The determining factor is our motive.
For example: getting up and going to work everyday can be motivated by different things. Bills have to be paid to take care of ourselves and our families- that’s a God-reason. First Timothy 5:8 says, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (NIV). Chasing after promotions or opportunities to climb the corporate ladder are more self-driven reasons. Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with ambition – bigger opportunities can open many doors to give, reach more people or make a bigger difference – but ambition must always be checked by motives. Working harder to provide more for your family is a different impetus than working harder to get a better title or provide the means for greater material gain. See the difference?
For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. – James 3:16, HCSB
God must always be our why. When He leads and directs our path, we are sure to be taken care of – and achieve much greater things than we could on our own. I, for one, can recall many a time I’ve tried to take control and do things for me or in my own strength only to watch my perfect plans crumble before my eyes. Mentally I was a wreck and my results reflected that. Pursuit of personal gain can also lead people to do disregard or walk over others in order to get what they want; we must always be wary of that and instead choose trust God to take care of us as we follow Him.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. – Matthew 6:33, NLT
When God is the driving force of our lives, we can rest assured that he will provide everything we need. We are free to peacefully walk the path He sets before us, navigating the calls to responsibility and purpose with His help, and knowing that we’ll be taken care of and all we accomplish will be for His glory.