Why are you here?

Why are you here? There are many possible answers. But, perhaps the most important answer is the one we think about the least.

The writer of Psalm 73 also asked this question. He looked around at the landscape of his life and asked what good does it do to be concerned about God. The bad guys are fat and happy. They mock God and everybody praises them. Me? I try to do what I am supposed to do, but what does it get me.

He did not have a good answer to why he was here on earth. And without a good answer he became discouraged, despondent, bitter. Listen to what he says:

Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain.

Sound familiar?

Then the psalmist realized that his God was his refuge, not his circumstances. He realized he was consumed with his circumstances, when he should have been consumed with his God.

In a moment of clarity he saw that the mocking world around him lasted only but a moment and then dissolved into a mist. Only God is good. Only he is worth living for. The Psalmist realized why he was here!

He understood that talking about the wonder of God is the only thing that makes sense.

So, you can say to your angry children something like this:

“Hey, please forgive me for letting us get off track. You have been upset with each other. I have been upset with you being upset. So all of my energy has been trying to figure out how to keep you from being upset. I was wrong. Our problems will not be solved by getting each other to change. Our problems will be solved when we start talking to each other about how wonderful God is. Yes, I know you two have been unkind and angry with each other. But it is only when we start realizing how God wants to us love each other that the anger will stop. Come on over here and sit down, I have some things to tell you about God’s goodness to me.”

Why are you here? To talk about the wonder of God!

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
Psalm 73:28

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