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Why Are You Here?
“Why are you here? That’s the question of the day. Welcome to Finally Alive Radio. I’m your host, Gary Aris, your very own Christian counselor. The question is, why are you here? Have you ever asked that of yourself? Have you ever thought about that? I think we live in a generation, a time when everyone is asking, ‘How do I? How do I?’ We’re so busy with that question. You know, how do I make more money? How do I find a spouse? How do I be more attractive, right? But honestly, I think those questions are pointless. There’s no reason to ask that question. And I’ll give an example.
The Pitfall of ‘How’ Questions
How many times have you seen that infomercial or maybe you Googled it and, you know, that weight loss cure or the weight loss system, that machine, whatever the contraption is to help you lose that; ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty pounds? And you know, of course, you buy it. How many of us have actually used it when we received it? And if you did use it, how many of us actually stayed with the program or the system or used the contraption? Okay, maybe you did that too, but did you stay with it? Did you ever stop? Did you ever gain that weight back? Yeah, stats show that actually most of us do that. We buy the contraptions, and they end up being an extra kind of closet for us or, you know, all those things that we buy, they just end up in a corner in the closet somewhere.
So there’s a lot more examples just like that, but think about it; that is because we think of, ‘How do I? How do I lose the weight? How do I do these things?’ How about this example? Let’s create this guy. Let’s imagine it’s a forty-year-old male with a big belly, okay?
The Power of ‘Why’ Questions
Here’s scenario number one. So, forty-year-old male, he looks in the mirror and he, you know, touches his stomach there and says, ‘You know, I think I can lose some weight; be nice.’ Okay, scenario number two, same guy, male, forty years old, big belly, goes to the doctor. The doctor tells him, ‘Oh hey, you know, Mr. male forty-year-old, I think you have diabetes. No, in fact, no, you do have diabetes. And guess what? If you keep treating your body this way, we’re going to have to cut off some limbs; eventually, you will die.’ Okay, two scenarios. Which one of those two do you think is going to push that or motivate that person to make a change? Obviously, scenario number two. Why? Do you see the ‘why’ question? So we asked this forty-year-old male in those two scenarios. Scenario number one, ‘Hey, why would you want to lose weight?’ ‘I think I like it, you know. I got a big belly; I will look better.’ It’s not a good enough ‘why.’ Scenario number two, though, what happened? ‘Well, I might die, right?’ To say that the ‘why’ question, that’s the most important part.
Eternal Spiritual Examples
Now I gave you worldly examples. But the truth is we have to look at Eternal Spiritual examples here. And let’s go there. So why questions are going to be our foundation, and if we have a foundation, we can actually find our identity. Think of this generation. What is one of the main issues? It’s identity; everyone’s trying to find out their identity. Well, let’s answer that question. In fact, how do you find your identity? What do you have to do to learn your identity? Well, we have a couple sources. We can identify with parents, obviously; that’s a source, family, relatives, those are sources, friends, friendships, another source is our culture, T.V., radio, movies, but that’s where we seek identity.
Overcoming Broken Sources
Well, let me throw a curveball at you. What if you had bad parents? What if they weren’t up to par? What if you came from a broken home? This is heartbreaking; I see this all day in sessions. What about the family? What if there were family members? What if it was a broken family? Think about it; that’s where you are; that is your source of your identity. Now think of this person who is identifying with all of these, perhaps bad behaviors or bad people. I don’t know; what do you think is going to happen? What do you think this person’s ‘how’ questions are going to be?
God’s Perspective on Identity
So, truly, let’s step back a little bit further here and look at our identity in a different way. Sure, yeah, that’s parents, sure, that’s family, but what if we do almost like a Google Maps thing, you know? You go on Google Maps, and you press a dot, and that’s where you’re going, and that’s where you are, right? Well, that’s the way we look at life. What if we looked at it from God’s perspective? And what’s God’s perspective? God can actually zoom out, so he can see the whole picture. We want to look at it from God’s perspective. So let me read to you Isaiah 40:24 that says, ‘Thus says the Lord your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord who made all things.’ Let me repeat that: ‘I am the Lord who made all things.’ So again, where we’re on a Google app here; this is God; He can zoom out; he can see forward; he can see backward; he can see it all. And he is claiming, ‘I am the Lord who made all things.’
Realigning Identity: From Family to God
“So what if we, rather than identifying just with our family, just with our parents, began to identify truthfully because this is where the identity really comes from is God. Jeremiah 1:5 says, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.’ So, you want to talk about identity; talk about identifying with this: ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.’ So let me ask you, my friend: Where is your identity coming from? Knowing that this is what God thinks; this is what God says; this is God speaking. He formed you in the womb, and he knew you. What if you started to identify with God? More importantly, maybe with Jesus. What if you looked at it from that perspective rather than looking at it from ‘I came from a bad place; I came from a bad home; I grew up poor’? I guess you can go either way; either way, what if you grew up rich? Boy, how many stories have we heard of spoiled kids and spoiled rotten, you know, children; well, spoiled adults too, right?
Cultivating Identity Amidst Cultural Changes
Identity. So, I want to suggest that you, rather than identifying with family and friends in the culture of the day – and speaking of the culture of the day, how quickly do things change; the fads, right? There’s a fad almost every day. And you have to keep up with that, don’t you? Speaking of social media – oh my gosh, there are new ones, I think, every couple of weeks. It’s impossible to keep up. So that said, what if you just identified with the source rather than trying to keep up with the fad? What is the source? God Himself. And again, he claims, ‘I formed you in the womb; I knew you.’ So, our question is: Why are you here? Have you asked that of yourself? Again, the ‘why’ questions are going to be your foundation. If you know your foundation; if you have a strong foundation, well, guess what, everything on that; whatever you build on that is probably going to be a lot stronger, isn’t it?
The ‘How’ Questions: Misguided Pursuits
You’re listening to Finally Alive Radio. I’m your host, Gary Aris. Your very own Christian counsellor, and we’re asking the question: why are you here? It’s all about your identity. Have you asked that of yourself; have you answered that question? Let me give you some more examples of ‘how’ questions. I don’t know; maybe you googled this: how do I own a house? It’s a good question to Google, right? But again, another pointless question. Why? Because owning a house is actually probably a lot easier than creating a home. Big difference; home takes work; home takes time; home, though it doesn’t have a mortgage payment, you will pay with your life. So, do you see when we break it down that way; the ‘how to’ question or ‘how do I’ question doesn’t really matter.
Shifting Focus: From ‘How’ to ‘Why’
How about ‘how do I attract a mate’? How about that one; that’s a good one. I think we’ve all asked that sometime in our lives, right? But what if you attract a mate, and what if it’s an unfulfilled, loveless relationship? I mean, I don’t even know if we should call it a relationship. But how many of us do that? I’m guilty of this; I’ve been there; I’ve lived this; I’ve seen this. So it’s not the ‘how do I attract,’ perhaps the question is ‘why.’ Who should I attract? Do you see what we’ve just changed the question of just a little bit; we get a better answer. Here’s a really good one, and I think everyone asks this one: how do I find happiness? Oh, that’s like the million-dollar question, isn’t it? How do I find happiness? What if you find happiness? Let me give an example. So, you bought a new car. It’s great; let me ask you: how long does it take for you to get sick of it? You’ve got your ‘how to answer,’ but so what; who cares; you’re sick of it in what, two weeks, three weeks, a month, three months? How about those new shoes you’ve been saving up for? And, you know, I’ve done this; I’ve saved up for the shoes; I buy the shoes, and then I don’t care about it. And, of course, when you get that scuff on, oh my goodness, right? Forget it; I want to throw it away; but you’ve got to deal with it, right?
Rediscovering Purpose: The Essence of ‘Why’
‘How do I find happiness’ is not the question because, truly, we should be seeking joy. So again, it’s not about the ‘how questions’; it’s about the ‘why.’ ‘Whys’ again are our foundation. If we have a strong foundation, we can build on that strong foundation. We need to find our identity. John 1:12 says, ‘Yet to all those who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become children of God.’ I want you to start to see your identity this way: you are a child of God. If you believe in Jesus, you are a child of God; done! That’s it; there is nothing; there is no other requirement. I’m telling there’s nowhere in the Bible that says you must do these things to be saved. No, it’s just believe in and you are saved. No, that’s it; done.
Divine Adoption: Embracing God’s Design
What about my sins? What about all the horrible things that I’ve done? Yeah, all washed away. How’s that; how does that work? Remember that word ‘faith’ that keeps coming up in the Bible quite a bit? ‘Has faith’; that’s it; that’s the only requirement. Just has faith. Same way you have faith in salvation; you should have a similar kind of faith with the statement here that you are a child of God now. And this is where you ought; you know, this is where you will get your identity being a child of God.
Ephesians 1:5 says, ‘He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.’ So guess what; you’ve been predestined, and guess what; you’ve been adopted; you’re now a son; you’re now family. So guess what; if Ephesians 1:4 says, ‘For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.’ So guess what; this wasn’t about what you did in this life because you have been chosen before the foundation. So, back to your identity; is it about how bad you’ve been? Is it about what a horrible family you’ve had? Not at all; if you’ve been chosen, you’ve been chosen. In fact, oh, this is a good one. You know, people say, ‘Oh, I found God. I found God.’ No, you didn’t; it was God who found us. Let’s put it in the right order here.”
God’s Purpose and Love
“So, for he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that he may be holy in unblemished in his sight, in love.
Embracing Divine Identity
My friend your loved, your cared for. Maybe your family told you one cared for. Maybe your family said you are a use the word worthless that’s a common term I hear in Session’s. The Word of God says the complete opposite. You’re not worthless, you’re not hopeless. There’s actually a reason for you.
And I’ve heard it I’ve heard it many times. You know my parents told me I was an accident guess what you’re not an accident some possible for you to be an accident well yeah maybe if we Google Maps it and we just hit the little button because that’s all we can see that is that little point right now from God’s perspective God sees more than that so not an accident it’s impossible for you to be an accident because God chose you in fact if you’re listening to this there must be a reason why you’re listening to this isn’t there.
Predestined Purpose
Perhaps you’re predestined to listen to this I don’t know something to think about. In Philippians 4;19 it says and my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus so guess what here’s your identity. You’re a son, you’re one of his, you know he will supply you with everything but yeah but I mean I don’t feel like he does and I feel like I’ve been kind of just tossed away to the side.
While according to you perhaps but are, we looking at it at the Google Maps at the dot or are we looking at it from God’s perspective where he can see the entire map. Give him a chance in fact one should pray to him right know talk to him and say Lord you know I don’t know what you’re doing fact let’s play this together, Lord I don’t know what you’re doing I don’t know what your plan is. But this is where my faith has to kick in and I have to trust you because I can’t see the map but you can.
A New Creation in Faith
Then though perhaps I’m broken in and I’m going through all sorts of hell on earth I’m still going to trust you. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says so then if anyone is in Christ that’s you he is a new creation.
So, no matter what you’ve done listen to me carefully me repeat that again no matter what you’ve done I don’t care how bad it has been. If you are his, you are a new creation. How are you his? Jus claim it, that’s the only requirement. We all know John 3:16 it says for God so love the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him that’s the condition whoever believes in him guess what if you believe in Him That’s you that’s you are the new creation.
Embracing the Inheritance
You are the new child you are the one who is going getting the inheritance so, if so then if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation what is old has passed away look what is new has come. Let the old pass away. Look at all those things that you did you know what’s funny is God forgives us he lets go of the sin you know who doesn’t let go the sin as you usually go I don’t let go of my own sin I hold on to it.
I’m going to ask you just like God has forgiven you forgive yourself. You’ve got to let go of it. You’ve got to let go of all that old stuff that you’ve done that you’ve seen. Because there is a new day. Tomorrow’s a new day.
Divine Inheritance: Freedom from Slavery
Galatians 4:7 says you are so you are no longer a slave but a son and if you’re a son then you’re also an heir through God. Go check that out now you have an inheritance because you’re an heir. It only gets better do you see. What happens to the heir of the kingdom? He receives all of it doesn’t e or she? That’s you that’s you.
Will brother I don’t feel like you don’t feel like I get that you know I’m going through so much tough stuff so tough stuff that’s all it takes it takes tough stuff for you to fall apart and lose faith in God really that’s all it took. Really think about your own logic I say this in love.
Upholding Faith in Tough Times
Look I struggle with this God where are you when this when these tough things are happening when the when the tough days are here what do I do. Yeah this is the part where. Your faith kicks in right here you know all those verses that talks about have faith have faith and faith the preacher is screaming have faith have faith this is it right here you have faith no matter how ugly it gets no matter how tough it gets you trust God you hold on with everything inside of you I mean if you’re holding on with your nails and you’re falling apart you’re holding on hold it with your nails that’s fine that’s faith. Hold on with everything that you have.”
