What on Earth am I here for?!

I usually take the same roads to work each morning. It had become a comfortable repetition. I knew what to expect and the amount of time that I needed to get to work on time. Once I got on the on ramp, I set my car on cruise control and let my mind wander for the next 30 minutes as I commuted.

On the way home it wouldn't be much different. I knew the routine by heart. Work was similar. At the time I was working on rewriting standard operating procedures for our business unit. It was tedious, and I even began to leave the cruise control on once I arrived at work. Some days my job would almost do itself, because of the climate of change with our company policies. I wondered, "What on Earth am I really here for?!"

I think we all have a tendency to do that just in life in general. We know our routine and put ourselves on cruise control. It becomes another aspect of comfort and security. But it also breeds the mundane.

On this particular day, there was a car on the side of the road and a young man carrying a gas can in front of it. I stopped and offered him a ride to the gas station, and he got in. As we drove we made some small talk, but my heart kept telling me to tell him about Jesus. My first thoughts were that I was doing that by helping him. I was showing him the love of God by my actions, but it just didn't feel like it was enough.

As the man went into the gas station I waited in my jeep and argued with God about it. I just felt that I was lousy at sharing the Gospel with others. I felt like they just looked at me like I was talking another language or something. Nevertheless, I could not shake the need to tell him about Jesus.

When he got in my car and we started back towards his car, I just began telling him about Jesus and how He forgave my sins, even as I led a hypocritical life. I asked him if he ever asked Jesus to be his Savior, and he said no. He also said that he knew he needed to but just hadn't yet. At that point I asked him if he would like to in the car with me, and his answer was a simple and resounding yes.

We prayed that morning on the side of I-94 as the snow blew by, and he left my jeep with the hope of eternal life.

My sarcastic question came back into my head, "What on earth am I here for?"

It was obvious that I was not put on earth to sit behind a desk, and grow numb to the world around me. It was not merely to help someone out.

740 years before Jesus showed up in Jerusalem, Isaiah the prophet spoke about his reason for existence and for ours today. It hasn't changed at all. In Isaiah 44:8 God spoke through him and said,

" Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Have I not proclaimed from ages past what my purposes are for you? You are My witnesses--is there any other God? No! There is no other rock--not one!"


Our purpose is to be His witnesses. That means we are to tell others of what we have seen God do. Part of that is helping others in need and serving those without. It is also by telling the Gospel and how it has affected your life.

Romans 10:13-14 says,

"for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

But in Isaiah, God comments on how His people would not act on what He said,

"You see and understand what is right but to refuse to act on it. You hear, but you don't really listen." (Isaiah 42:20, NLT)

Good deeds and service must be done, showing God's love to the world, but it must not take the place of sharing the Gospel and our witness of what Christ has done in our lives.

God's purpose and challenge for your is to find opportunities to boldly share what God has done in your life, and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Be bold this week!