What’s at the Root?

Last Winter, I heard a message from John Piper about having Jesus Christ at the bottom of our joy.  What he meant by that is examining what is our main reason for doing something.  An example he gave was doing well on a school paper.  Why would a student want to do well on a school paper?  To pass the class.  Why pass?  To stay in college.  Why stay in college?  Etc.

This really examines your motives and lets you see where your heart is in all you do.  As someone who strives to have Jesus Christ in the center of my life, and to have everything I do come back to Him–thus also making Him my source (including the source for my joy)–I always want Him to be my ultimate motivation.

Tie that in with what you’re doing with your life right now.  What are your dreams and passions?  What job or class are you getting up for in the morning?  What activities in church are you involved in?  Which people are you spending your time with?  How much of your time are you devoting to your family?  What about to your Heavenly Father?

And finally… why?

In other words, what’s at the root of your life?

This is not a religious rant, but rather something to help you and I see there’s an agenda for our lives.

Earlier this week, I posted about letting your life be guided by the Holy Spirit.  Even in doing so, you need to ask yourself why you would want such a thing to happen.  Maybe it’s because you heard it in a message, read it in a book, or my blog is tugging on heartstrings harder than I ever realized.  Maybe it’s because you know that’s what the Word of God wants us to do.  Or maybe it’s because you want to spend your life doing exactly what God put you here to do in order to glorify Him and live your part in His story.

So, two questions in closing: 1)  How are you going to live out today?  2) Why?