Online Articles
A Continuing Focus on the Purpose
If you have ever read or listened to Simon Sinek you have heard of the golden circle. It is comprised of three words in a target: What – The result (largest circle). How – The process (smaller circle). Why – The purpose or motivation (bulleye). When Christians only focus on the what and how, we are not reaching our true potential as followers of Christ. However, if we start with our why, what we do and how we do it will be greatly impacted. For example, if I know we are to worship (What) through singing (How) and that is as far as I go, my worship will not be very meaningful. However, if I told you that I love the Lord God with all my heart (Why), and want to express my love by singing (How) in order to worship Him (What), then my worship will have a clearer purpose. Both scenarios have the same what and how, but the why transforms the action. It is important to have a continual focus on the why or purpose because it will impact our call to “rise up and build.”
Why rise up and build? What should motivate our every thought and action as we build together? Love! Our love for one another and our love for Jesus. Yes, these are the two greatest commands that we see in Matthew 22:36-40. This is what should motivate our every thought and action. We are told in John 14:15 that if we love Him, we will keep his commands. Have you ever noticed he did not say keep my commands and then you will love me? Why? Because God knows that how and what we do will be impacted by our why. We do what our God asks us to do, how he wants us to do it. Why? Because we love him. Our love of God and others should be the purpose to which we are continually looking.
How should we rise up and build if we are truly motivated and continually focused on our love for one another and for Jesus? Jesus gives a perfect picture in Matthew 28:19-20. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus is teaching them how to rise up and build by make disciples. Going, baptizing, and teaching is a cycle that should be repeated. Jesus makes that point when he tells the apostles to “teach them to observe all I have commanded you.” You and I are a part of that very cycle started by Jesus so long ago. Love for one another and for Jesus drives how we rise up and build.
What does love demand we build? The answer is clearly seen in Ephesians 4:15-16 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Love demands we build up the body of Christ. We are told in in 1 Peter 2:5 “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” The body of Christ has been set aside for a special service of sacrifice and worship to God. We rise up and worship and build up the body of Christ in vain if we do it out of anything other than love for Jesus and one another.
We must make sure that we focus on our purpose in such a way that it can be seen in how and what we do as we “rise up and build.”
