Tuesday, September 25, 2012
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
YOU ASK, "WHAT AM I DOING HERE?" --
THE LORD ANSWERS, "YOU'RE HERE TO PROCLAIM MY PRAISES."
A Christian is not immune to having an identity crisis -- asking "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" The difference between Christians and the world is that believers find the answer in the Lord Jesus. He defines for us who we are. He identifies us as His people, and this is sufficient. It answers all of our questions and doesn't make us dependent on any situation on this earth for our identity. Once that question is answered we know what we're supposed to be doing on this earth.
God made you His people for a purpose. If you wonder why you're here on this earth, why you have a pulse, it is answered in 1 Peter 2:9: to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. The reason that you're not in heaven is because God wants you to report on who you are and how you became that way. You are here to report on what you know about God and glorify Him. That's it. It's that simple. Earning money, having a career, raising a family -- all those things that we think give us our identity are actually secondary to the purpose that God has given us.
The Lord could have whisked you away into paradise already, but your work is not yet done. In His heavenly wisdom He chose for human beings to convey His message about sin and grace. Nature glorifies Him by its existence as do the angels, but the Lord has more in mind for the crown of His creation. We might have wanted Jesus to stay on the earth to do this work, but that's not the way that it is. The entirety of your purpose, the reason that you are one of His people is to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. It doesn't matter what your age, intellect or wealth is. This is the mission of every Christian.
