Why...Why...Why

We all have many friends in our lives, some pass through for a season others stay around for longer.   I begin this blog, not with friendship in mind directly but more to ask, out of all those friends or acquaintances how many have helped us on our journey though life?   Who has impacted me and to what extent?    It always amazes me that we have friends that don’t help as well as those who do.     Who has walked through my life and is still doing so? Bringing the imprint of wisdom through their words and actions.   Who has become the finger of God working in my life?  is this not “every joint supplying”.   I opened up a meeting on Sunday with this thought “…to join my self to any one, even to be joined to a people group, a church, cannot simply mean just  attending…” Unfortunately for far to many this is so, the Christ like life degenerates to attending rather than becoming a relational joining, a felt joining, even our language can be ever so relational but do we truly feel one another?    “You are not joined with me until I feel you, we have not joined until we feel one another”.

I would suggest that Jesus showed this in his own life, constantly painting pictures of this, glimpses of joining and being felt so many times.   One story comes to mind of the woman who had bled for 12 years, she came not just to be in the crowd, but to join herself to him.   When she did so Jesus felt it, it was not just a healing we are told Jesus felt something leave him.   She was joined he felt it and I am sure she did, a story of order and government (number 12 is always seen as government, 12 tribes, 12 apostles of the lamb, 12 disciples etc.) her life came back into order after 12 years of disorder.    This was a relational touch in story form “she touched him”, actually her healing came not as she just brushed passed his prayer blanket, in her action she joined her self to him and Jesus announced “…who touched me…” I felt it flow from me.   Is this not “every joint supplying”?

Back to where I began some people touch our lives and help us to put lenses on that enable us to see a bigger picture, enabling us to get a balance back in life, others help us to see the detail of all around, others put give us lenses that assist us to appreciate people and circumstances, and there are those that even help us to see with future lenses, making sense of the past and future along with present.   Few come along and probe strategic questions on how we see, so that we can priorities and respond correctly.  Questions that may even shake us but ones that will ultimately secure our journey and the way we live that journey.

Here is my point, reading today the Psalmist viewpoint on life lived around him, through the Message translation, I read a simple yet  a powerful word,  its consequence, if dealt with incorrectly could shipwreck a life, but if dealt with correctly will enhanced and make authentic our faith journey and intimate relationship with the Christ of God.

Psalm 106:1-3 says “…Hallelujah! Thank God! And why?   Because he’s good, because his love lasts.   But who on earth can do it — declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises?   You’re one happy man when you do what’s right, one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.

My simple word is WHY

What a great opening and a wonderful habit to get into asking WHY?   Its not any WHY being asked here, its WHY are you being God focused, WHY are you thankful focused and WHY are you both together thanking God?      Don’t just do it because of the pressure of the crowd or the church you belong to, who expect you to conform in what we call “worship” just do it.   I think God likes this question as it cuts through the dross of performance and brings us to the real essence of you, and his relationship felt with us.

The Psalm commences with Hallelujah where does that go to, what is its meaning here.     Praise starts within the heart and action, but then we read an abrupt stop, WHY?

One sure thing that this WHY exposes is, don’t just give you self to form,  or praise that is simply emotional, soul driven, gaining ego or position, the things of life that change and that are insecure, rather find the unchanging stuff.   Find a WHY that is worthwhile and a WHY that is compelling, a WHY that brings a reason and momentum an advance, that creates a sure foundation.

Praise, thanks, WHY these three may be a good combination for life’s journey a threesome, that brings a way forward.

Praise

Thanks

WHY

Three legs of an expressive disciple, a disciple that turns his /her heart to the Lord becomes one of these who God looks for!

We have a WHY to encourage us to engage further, to become personally authentic, rather than simply being a part of a group, I have to do it.    So I need to understand WHY there is even a way to ask my WHY’s.   How can I ask an empowering WHY, not just a child’s frustrated WHY, or even a rebellious WHY, but a WHY that enables me to know myself and my motivations.

This WHY is to bring an understanding of

Self

My environment

The overcoming power of testimony

An encounter of God

Why I do what I do, that enables the expression to come from an inner well.

That no religion distracts or engrosses

That no unreality destroys authenticity

That we are always aware of the inner man discovering in the wilderness the inner challenges of motive.

WHY ASK WHY?

Should I never ask, is it productive, should it be part of my life’s cycle, am I able to manage asking the question?

WHY are you doing what your doing? find the answer,  the Father will bring it.

WHY is a powerful a belonging word, it really will cause you to feel your relationships, when WHY’s are asked we will feel one another, as we bring form to our WHY’s of life and faith.