What is the driving force in our lives? What is the ultimate purpose we are living for?
Dr. Joel Beeke shares a personal story about his father, who taught him an important lesson during their time working together. Just as a hammer is designed for hammering and a saw is designed for cutting, each with its unique purpose, our lives also have a specific purpose. Trying to live for any other reason than the glory of God is like using a tool for a purpose it was not designed for—it simply won't work.
God created us with the intention to glorify Him, not to be selfish or serve our own interests. Every aspect of our being, our thoughts, actions, and senses, is meant to bring glory to God. However, due to our fallen and sinful nature, we need to be converted and made new through being born again, so that God's will and glory become the central focus of our lives.
In order to glorify God, Beeke emphasizes the need for a personal transformation. Despite our ongoing battles with indwelling sin, our shortcomings, weaknesses, and imperfections, we must be oriented towards God. Being born again and made new creations enables us to prioritize God's will, His glory, and the enjoyment of God in our lives. It becomes our passionate pursuit to love and glorify God with every part of our being. This transformation requires acknowledging our need for God's saving grace and recognizing that our greatest purpose is to bring glory to Him.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV): "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
What am I living for? What's the drive in my life? So let me give you an example. My dad was a carpenter. When I was 13 years old, I went to work for him for my first summer of work with him.
And first day on the job, he had a hammer there and some nails and some wood and a saw and he said something to me very obvious he said son he said now when you work for me never use a saw to try to nail home a nail. I never use a hammer to try to saw a board, because a hammer was not designed for boards, and a saw was not designed for nails. I said, well, you know, I know that, Dad. He said, but you know why I'm telling you? I said, no.
I always said no to all my dad's questions actually, because I was always wrong anyway. So he said to me, well it's like life. If you try to live for any other reason but the glory of God, it's like taking a hammer and trying to saw a board. It's like taking a saw and trying to nail home a nail. It just won't work because God didn't make you to be selfish.
God didn't make you to serve me, my, myself. He made you for one purpose, son. Don't you ever forget it. He made you to glorify your creator. And then he went on and talked to me about, you know, how every part of my being was to glorify God.
What I did with my eyes, what I did with my ears, what I did with my hands. It's all going to come back on the Judgment Day. And you see, the net conclusion from that is of course, I've got to be converted. I can't glorify God by my own selfish sinful nature fallen in Adam. I need to be born again.
I need to be made a new creation. I need to be made oriented to God so that God's will, God's glory, the enjoyment of God, these things become top shelf for me, become my front burner in life. And I learned to love and to glorify God with all that is within me. Despite my ongoing battles with indwelling sin, despite my shortcomings, despite my weaknesses, despite my imperfections, I need to be able to say, Lord, thou knowest all things. My great passion in life is to glorify you.