Why did God make me?

"Faith today is treated as something that only should make us different, not that actually does or can make us different. In reality we vainly struggle against the evils of this world, waiting to die and go to heaven. Somehow we've gotten the idea that the essence of faith is entirely a mental and inward thing."

Dallas Willard

Many may be familiar with the question asked in catechism class, or Sunday school which would goes like this: "Why did God make me?" It is certainly a question we grapple as we wrestle with who we are, our place, our our destiny on this planet.

The prescribed answer? "To love, serve, and obey Him." Willard's quote above suggest that our purpose goes beyond mental ascent to a seemingly noble vision for our lives. His quote implores us to consider a complete saturation of the mind, body, and spirit into the likeness of a loving Father who loved us and gave Himself up for us. 1 John 2:6 pushes back on me and says that if I "claim to live in Him"..."I must walk as Jesus did." If my objective is to live in Him then I need to understand the implications of this short little phrase... "in Him".

Ephesians, chapter 1 reminds me of the blessings enveloped in living in Jesus and offers me the courage and encouragement to live "Jesus" in this world despite the circumstances around me. I can be used to live with a heavenly perspective in a world that is not so heavenly focused. My goal is not only to see Jesus face to face Someday, but be in communion with Him now, daily, as I love Him, serve Him, and obey Him with my mind, body, and spirit...the whole self. His Spirit is living in and through me for his increased reputation. The will and the spirit surrender to that of the Father.

May God grant you that same assurance beyond mental ascent and into full surrender of the whole self through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

I'm pregnant? You're pregnant? Who is pregnant?

"My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!" Galatians 4:19-20

Let me be the first to say...Huh? I stumbled across this passage the other day and need to pause, and go back and read a bit more carefully. Here is my question: How can Paul be in the pain of childbirth (I'm sure/hope metaphorically speaking) looking forward to Christ's formation in me? Wouldn't his desire be that the birth simply just happen so the pain is gone, so I could see Jesus face to face, so the world could see Jesus, live and in person? Why one womb to another, it would seem?

What is the difference between Paul's condition (pregnant)and the Galatian reader? Christ is in Paul, a part of Paul, connected to Paul's life. In a sense, Paul's life sustains Jesus' life in the here and now. Could it be that Paul's desire (and frustration with the Galatian church) is centered around their inconsistency to live Christ? Fascinating imagery.

Am I pregnant with Jesus? Is there a life source connection that nourishes the image of Christ to a lost and broken world? Do I live inseparably Jesus? Has the Holy Spirit planted a seed in my kids lives through me? Do they live Christ following the model I have set?

This passage needs more digging for sure...but I am very intrigued by the word of God.