A longtime friend of mine whose wife recently announced she was leaving him for another man reminded me of the powerful impact worship can have on our lives. As we talked into the early morning hours during a recent visit, I was amazed at his testimony of how—even in the midst of unimaginable pain, sorrow and uncertainty about his family’s future—he had chosen to focus on God, put Him first and worship Him. That’s what God can do when we give Him the first place of honor, submission and glory in our lives.

"Why?" is one of the oldest questions humanity has ever asked. Why do I exist? What is mankind’s ultimate purpose? Where does life ultimately lead? How can I find fulfillment?

God created us with this desire to know the deeper purposes of life—to seek significance during our days here on earth. At On Mission, we believe the ultimate purpose of our lives is to know God, worship Him alone and help others to know Him. Throughout history God has been on a mission of gathering worshipers to Himself. He gives us the privilege and responsibility of joining Him in that mission. It’s an assignment that brings a sense of direction and purpose to our lives.

In this issue of On Mission we look at our ultimate motive for sharing our faith—joining God in His mission of drawing worshipers to Himself (see our cover section on page 22). Of course, there are other good reasons we share Christ, but stripping away everything else, our main purpose is worshiping God.

We don’t need to look far today to see the vain pursuits of those who worship things rather than God: money, power, status, comfort. When we place the importance of anything before God, we’re worshiping it—setting out on an ultimately hollow quest that will leave us empty.

Although our motives for worshiping God shouldn’t be self-centered, there’s no denying the benefits to us. Focus on God puts our lives into perspective, preventing a worldview in which we are the center of the universe. Focus on God keeps us humble in times of undeserved blessing and lifts us up in times of almost unbearable suffering.

What a thrill to know we have a role in God’s supreme mission, and yet He wants us to be ourselves while doing it! How has He shaped you? What are your interests?

Has He given you a passion for a particular ministry or to reach certain people? Follow that lead and use it to make a plan for how you can share His message of grace and salvation as you go.

Michael Ebert, mebert@namb.net