Here is a quote from a book I will paraphrase it as it is quite long but it is relevant to this topic;
| Quote: |
| 'My friend, Peter Lord... is one of the few men I know who has designed his life so his first priority is to abide with God. As a result he is constantly probing those of us around him to realign our priorities. ...One afternoon Peter and I sat under an oak tree... (Peter) began his spiritual probing. "Don't give me your answers", Peter said, " Just think about them as I ask you five questions". Why did God make you? I knew what he was driving at. He wanted me to define why I was here. What was the reason for my creation? ... I made a mental note- true to the Westminster confession: "I am here to glorify God and enjoy Him for ever". Second: What is the thing you love more than anything else? I was tempted to give a religious answer, but I knew better. One of the best ways to test your greatest love is to determine what you can't do without... Inwardly I answered; "My greatest love is my family". Peter's third question: What is your greatest fear? Again, I was tempted to give a religious answer about being delivered from fear- but that's just not so. In fact everyone is afraid of something. My greatest fear I thought was losing my family and being left without their love. Fourth: What is your greatest ambition? Deeply spiritual people are always ambitious people. Not worldly or egotistical ambition but and ambition sanctified and restored to its proper dimension. Peter was asking me about my goal in life... I yearned to write a book that would touch the world for Jesus Christ. Finally Peter asked: Why do you want God? That took more thinking than the rest. He was asking in essence what I expected to gain by being a Christian. That was easy: I wanted God so He could help me accomplish my goal for Him- for without Him I was nothing. ... All my answers seemed sound. At least I seemed to have my spiritual pyramid down pat: God first, family next, career last. "If your answer to question number one is not the same as your answer to question number four, you are a mixed up person," Peter said matter of factly. ..."But I said that my reason for being on earth was to glorify God and enjoy him forever," I said. "That's fine," Peter answered. "Then your greatest ambition better be to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." But I had not said that. I had said my ambition was to do something for Him, rather than abide in Him- to have fellowship with Him. Slowly it dawned on me. I am here on this earth for no other reason but to have communion with Him and to renew that wonderful relationship that took place in the garden of Eden when Adam walked alone with God in the cool of the evening. If I have any other ambition than that, I am missing God's purpose for my life. If I have been placed on this earth to abide in God, then my greatest ambition should be to have fellowship with Him. Peter continued: "Your answer to question num ber two ougth to be the same as your answer to question number three." Again I was trapped. I had the right sequence, but the wrong answers. If my purpose for being on earth is to abie in God, then my greatest love should be the person of the Father- not my wife, children or my ministry. Likewise my greatest fear should be the fear of losing that prceious fellowship with God... ..."I will not ask you how you answered number five," Peter said. "But if you said you wanted God for any other reason than the fact He is God, then you are a materialist and an idolater." He needed to say no more. I was cut to the bone. I had said I had wanted God to help me accomplish something I wanted to do for Him-notably to write a book for which He would get the glory and I would get the money. |
Where Eagles Soar- Jamie Buckingham pages 120-122
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