WHY AM I HERE?

   By:  Norm Rasmussen

Every suffering person wants to know why he or she was put on this earth.  The homeless person sleeping under a cardboard box wonders why he or she can’t have a warm bed in a nice house in the suburbs.  The prisoner feels like life has dealt them an extremely unfair hand, and in many cases, it has. The sick mother, having no food to feed her hungry children, wonders how much longer she can cope with watching her babies live with empty stomachs.  The crippled, the lame, the deaf and the blind, the diseased, the abused and enslaved, the wronged . . .  they all wonder WHY life has handed them such a painful, unfair burden to bear. 

Why has life handed them such suffering? 

Answering this question is like trying to find out why God didn’t make the earth a cube or like a donut.  The possible reasons are endless, and in the final conclusion, does it REALLY matter?  Probably not.  God made the earth the way He wanted to make it, and my place in the scheme of things is not to question WHY He made the earth the way He made it.  The question I must ask is:  what is my purpose in the first place for being here on it?

The question “WHY” can be more lethal than the most deadly drug or the most devastating nuclear warhead to the human soul.  It can be worse than AIDS or the most deadly cancer.  Spending one’s lifetime asking “WHY” will place one in a prison that endlessly torments the soul and spirit.  For those who can believe that there are demonic forces at work in the spirit realm afflicting the godly . . . they would do well to come to the full realization that “WHY” is one of their most deadly and effective weapons Satan has in his arsenal.

How can one “effectively put on the helmet of Salvation” spoken of in the New Testament Bible in the book of Ephesians 6:17?  How can we keep the devil’s weapon of “WHY” from taking hold, rotting the soul with hopelessness and despair?

Some will be able to receive what I’m about to say.  Most in their state of hopelessness and despair probably will not, because they are so “addicted” to the drug of hopelessness and despair that only death will free them from it . . . sadly. 

God will answer EVERY person who asks Him why they were put on this planet plainly and clearly if they CHOOSE to hear His answer.  But if they refuse to accept His answer, they essentially shut themselves off from everything else He has to say to them. 

How about you, dear one?  Are YOU ready for God’s answer as to why YOU were given your lot of suffering in life?  Most do NOT like God’s answer.  Is does not bring fame, wealth, nor power.  It may not even bring much hope or comfort for the moment.  But it IS fact.  And it IS the answer that God gives 100% of the time to those who truly want to know why they are on this planet. 

So what IS the reason?  TO GLORIFY GOD. 

“To glorify GOD?!”  You might scream.  “What kind of reason is THAT?!”  That doesn’t get me out of prison, or give me a warm bed to sleep in, or put food in my baby’s empty tummy, you fool!”

Hold on a moment before you shut me completely off.  Let me at least have a chance to present God’s case in the matter. 

Let’s look at things from God’s perspective for just a moment.  First of all, God did NOT have to create planet earth.  Secondly, He did not have to create the human race.  Thirdly, he did NOT have to give you life.  He could have just as easily given it to someone else, right?  But for reasons known only to Him . . . you were special enough to Him that He wanted you to experience life. 

Think about that:  You were special enough to Him that He wanted you to experience this life.  Dear hurting one, God has better things to do with his power and creativity than give life to people who are not special to Him.  Plain and simple, God ONLY gives life to those who are special to Him.  What they do with that life will be the determining factor as to how special they REMAIN with Him. 

Do you suppose God is unaware of your suffering?  Not hardly.  God knows precisely the depths of your pain and despair.  But as you cry out to Him for answers and deliverance from your suffering . . . He may be crying out for answers as well:  “Why, my child, do you refuse to believe the purpose why I created you is simply for you to purpose to bring Me glory in whatever state you are in?  If I gave you millions of dollars, would it cause you to glorify me, or would it distance you further from glorifying Me?  If I released you from prison, could you truly say that you would glorify me more being freed than imprisoned?  If I fed your hungry babies, would you be thankful for a moment and then continue living life the same as before?  I know what you would do if I changed your situation, but the only sure way YOU would know is if you begin desiring to bring Me glory in the condition or state you are in right NOW.  If I gave you wealth, fame and fortune, would it cause you to appreciate the death of My Son Jesus more as the price paid for your sins?  Would it cause you to tell others about WHY I sacrificed Myself for the sins of humanity?  Why aren’t you telling others right NOW?  Why must I bribe you  with wealth, fame, and power first to motivate you to tell others?”

“How God, do I glorify You, sleeping under this cardboard box and looking for my next meal in a stinking garbage can?  How God, do I glorify you in this hell-hole, corrupt prison?  How, God, do I glorify you as my children cry day and night for just a little food?   TELL ME!”

Let’s fast-forward our lives.  Each of us will have left a legacy behind us, when our time is done here on earth.  Each of us will have a novel written about what we did with our lives.  For those who purposed to glorify God to the best of their ability during their life, using the truth of God’s Word as their guidebook,  their book made the “best sellers list.”  To those who came up with reasons NOT to glorify God with their lives in whatever state or condition life handed them,  . . . no one will take the time to read their book, including God, sad to say.  Best selling books are only written about winners and overcomers, not those who can only stay focused on, “I can’t!” “ Unfair!” and “Unjust!”

To some, once they have come to the realization that their purpose here in this life is to glorify God, they have a difficult time understanding HOW to go about beginning to actually glorify Him. 

The Book of John in the New Testament is probably as good a place as any to read about the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that He would send the Holy Spirit to those who wanted Him.

God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us HOW to begin glorifying the Father.  Whether we are in a far-away country where we do not have a copy of the Bible, or whether we are blind and can’t read the Bible, we STILL have full access to the Holy Spirit to help us and teach us in HOW to specifically begin to glorify our heavenly Creator. 

For those of you who are aware of what I am saying, yet DON’T sense the Holy Spirit with you, may I gently suggest to you that perhaps you have grieved Him to the point where you’ve essentially driven Him away?  There are things the devil can do to trick a person into driving away, or “quenching” the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit can be offended.  He gets hurt just like anyone else.  Ask the heavenly Father in the name of Jesus if you have somehow offended the Holy Spirit, and be patient until the answer comes.  God always forgives us if we have grieved or insulted the Holy Spirit, if we’ll confess to Him our wrong, and ask for help in not doing so again.  The Holy Spirit ALWAYS comes back to help you when we’ll just tell Him we’re sorry for hurting Him, and will try as best as we can to not hurt Him again. 

Though the list can become essentially endless, there are common ways we can begin to glorify God in our places of suffering, which MAY be the very key/s to see God release us from the suffering state we are in.

To the prisoner, he or she can begin to pray for those around them, INCLUDING the guards and the prison staff. (Matt. 5:44-48).  Anyone can pray for their “friends” who have treated them kindly.  Praying for one’s “enemy” can seem to be the most impossible thing to do.  But praying for one’s enemy gets God’s attention BIGTIME.  Tuck that away, dear reader, and never forget it.  We all get tested in difficult relationships and human associations.  Will you find reason NOT to bless your enemy with your prayers, or will you muster the courage the Holy Spirit will supply to pray God’s blessings on them?  Answering “yes” or “no” may be the difference between seeing God deliver you or not deliver you from your suffering . . . seriously. 

To the hungry mother with starving children:  Mom, are you asking God to feed OTHER hungry children other than your own, or do you care?  Are you asking God to bless those who HAVE food, yet won’t give any to help feed the poor?  It’s not that they necessarily “need” your prayers, but perhaps the “need” is that YOU might need to show God that you are bigger than those who have food to eat. 

God is a tester of hearts.  I can be wealthy and hold bitterness, hatred, and anger inside myself.  I can be pathetically poor, or imprisoned, or abused, and hold onto the same bitterness, hatred, and anger.  The rich and the poor are given tests from God to see how they will deal with the emotions of hatred, anger, pity, resentment, and the like.  Why is God testing us in this life?  To determine our future.  To cement in all eternity the legacy each of us are writing for our brief stay here on earth. 

Unfair?  God is not impressed when we scream that word.  It was not “fair” that the religious people hung Him on the cross to die, when He did nothing wrong.  It was not “fair” that the devil and one third of the angels chose to rebel against the authority of God in heavenly places eons ago.  It is not “fair” that the devil gets to distort the truth of God and His Word, whereby deceiving multitudes all the way to hell. 

Unfair?  Satan and his demonic helpers can even scream “unfair” for all eternity that born-again Christians have no right being forgiven and getting to go to heaven when they can’t.  Every human soul who ends up in hell will scream for all eternity that God was “unfair” to send them there . . . yet God will not be moved with compassion to reverse His previous judgment on them. 

Jesus had two people die with Him.  One man was so locked into the unfairness of it all that he could care less about anyone dying but himself.  He wanted only one thing.  To be set free.  (Luke 23:39).

Then there was the other criminal.  His attitude was completely different.  God the Father and all of heaven was watching from above to see if he would “pass his test.”  The final test he would ever be given on earth.  Would he pass or fail.  It was a one-question test:

“Will you glorify Me in your dying breath, or will you step into eternity with bitterness, anger and resentment in your heart?”

Select one:
A) Yes B) No

Holy Scripture records for us that this criminal chose the right answer.  What He said to Jesus put a smile on every face in heaven. 

What we miss however, if we’re not careful, is that this criminal didn’t just suddenly come up with the right answer in his last few remaining moments on earth.  Something good was in this criminal’s heart long before they strung him to that cross.  His attitude and respect for God had been present deep down inside himself long before that moment on the cross.  Though life had not been kind to him; though he would never know the joys of marriage and fatherhood; though he would never experience the joys of sailing or playing a good round of golf; though he would never be able to generate unimaginable financial wealth from the buying and selling of stocks to help support the causes of Christ . . .  he had the heart of a WINNER.  He knew life owed him nothing, and that he owed God everything.  He was not only a winner, but a WISE winner.  Wise winners know God owes each of us nothing, and we owe Him everything.  That is what writes best-sellers in heaven. 

Winners don’t look at glorifying God in their state of suffering as something they have to do, or are supposed to do after a fashion.  Their wisdom says it’s an OPPORTUNITY to do so.  They realize they are sowing their wisdom to gain an eternal inheritance that no amount of wealth, fame or power will grant them in the next life.  

Winners don’t live life to get blessings.  They live life to be a blessing to others.  They understand and put to use the law of sowing and reaping.  Winners don’t waste precious time and energy seeking WHY they have been treated unfairly or unjustly.  They use their time and energy with the help of the Holy Spirit trying to motivate OTHERS to be God glorifiers . . . God pleasers . . . realizing it is wisdom and opportunity to do so. 

It is noble to be this kind of a winner.  Being this kind of a winner is VERY fair.  Anyone can do it.  The only thing that can stop it are the “excuses we come up with” in our refusal to pursue it. 

With God, ALL things are possible that is trustworthy, that is true, that is noble.  They can be attained in prison, in hunger, in despair, in poverty, in hopelessness.  As long as we are on this planet . . . writing our legacy as a WINNER for Jesus is totally obtainable no matter what state or condition we are in. 

All we have to do is desire to do so daily.  Pray and ask God for specific ongoing guidance, and be patient until it is provided. 

When your and my time has passed . . . when we cross over into eternity . . . what will be our legacy?  Will our book contain chapters of overcoming . . . or will they contain chapters of our excuses as to WHY we did not pursue glorifying God in the midst of our trials and hardships?    

The choice is ours to make.  Each of us is being tested.  Do we circle A) Yes, or do we circle B) No ?

God says, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last” (Matthew 19:30). The last to complain and entertain excuses have great understanding into what God means in speaking this sobering and profound truth.

If you would like to read Norm's born again testimony, you can click on this link:  http://precious-testimonies.com/BornAgain/L-N/Norm.htm