A Reasonable Question

   Several years ago, when my oldest child was around 5, a friend of mine and I agreed to take our families up to Chicago for a day at the zoo. As you can imagine, our children were all excited and eager to get on our journey as we loaded up the cars and made plans to meet each other at the front gate.

   After arriving, we purchased our tickets, and made our way through the turnstile and into the park…children in tow. Being a hot summer day in the city, the park was full of people. Of course, we didn’t let that deter us from seeing our favorite species as we made our way through the crowd and the maze of exhibits.

   A few hours passed when the little feet of some of the members of our group began to get a little tired. We decided to take a break from the action for awhile. Making our way to a couple of empty tables and chairs, we settled down and began to attend to the needs our families. After a few moments, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, my friend’s son walk up to him and ask, “Dad, why are we here?” Without looking up from his duties with his other child, my friend replied, “We’re here to see the animals…to have fun!” But this wasn’t the answer he was looking for. He retorted, “No dad, I mean, why are we here…on earth?”

   At this point, I was all ears. What would my friend say to him? What a great opportunity this was. This little boy, who was no more than 4 years old at the time, was already beginning to wonder what his purpose in life was. I stopped what I was doing and was now watching and waiting as this conversation unfolded.

    It’s been said that there are 3 questions every person will ask at some point in their lives. The first is a question of origin (where did I come from?). The second is a question of destiny (What happens to me after I die?). And the third is a question of purpose (What’s the reason behind me being here?). It was this 3^rd question that this little fellow was wanting an answer to.

    I wish I could tell you that my friend sat his son down on the bench and looked him straight in the eye and gave him the best answer he could, but I can’t. In fact, my friend didn’t give him an answer at all. He just raised his head slightly and said in frustration, “Son, I don’t know.” And with that, his son turned around and quickly focused his attention on something else. 
    A part of me wishes I could go back to that day and answer him, or at least encourage my friend to answer him. After all, I watched this all unfold and said nothing to either one of them.

   The young boy should be around 16 today, so in case he or his dad reads this, or if anyone else for that matter has the same question, I would like to respond now.

   The reason we were made; the reason we exist; the reason we move and have our being is for the glory and pleasure of God. The earth and all that is in it exists to bring glory to and awareness of God. The universe shows the splendor and grandeur of our Creator. When we make much of God and acknowledge Him, we are fulfilling our number one reason for existing.

   Furthermore, we glorify God best when we worship Him only. By nature, we are worshipers. There hasn’t been a tribe or a people group discovered on this planet that isn’t worshiping something or someone. But unless we’re worshiping the One, True God, we worship in error and miss our primary purpose. Even heaven and all of its inhabitants worship God.

   How do we worship God? Contrary to what many think, this is not where we get into a discussion on musical preferences. Nor is it the number of visits one makes to the church building every week either. A.W. Tozer wrote, “If we don’t worship God seven days a week, we don’t worship Him one day a week.”

   Worship occurs in the entire life of the believer. It is authentic and Holy Spirit led. It’s in our actions, but more importantly it involves our entire lives. For Jesus said:

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”  -John 4:24 NIV

   So whether I’m sitting in a building surrounded by like-minded people singing songs I enjoy, or whether I’m in the middle of Wal-Mart during Christmas season, I can be worshiping God…and that’s His desire…that wherever and whatever I’m doing, I’m always in His presence adoring Him.