Big Picture

Here’s a question: what is it all for?

Why build a business that you will hand off to other people when you die?  Why earn billions of dollars that other people will spend – and probably in ways you would not approve of?  What is the point in setting your eyes on a vision and breaking your back to reach that vision?  Why the constant striving?  What are we trying to prove? and to whom?

No matter what your answer is to these questions, I am willing to bet the answer is about you.  Whether ego, a sense of fulfillment, or pride, each of us is driven to do.  The problem is that when we accomplish one thing, we barely even celebrate before we move on to the next thing to do.  Our capacity for achievement is a bottomless pit.  We can throw all the accomplishments we want into it.  It will never be satisfied.  A billionaire was once asked how much money is enough.  He responded, “just a little bit more.”  We all share that spirit.  If I could only get X, I will be happier.  Then once we get X, we set our sights on “just a little bit more.”  It never ends.

There is this super interesting thing about the Judeo-Christian story of creation.  You know the story, God creates everything in 7 days.  (Well, not really. For example, there is no account off him creating Heaven, angels, spirits, water, or land itself but I digress).  Each day, he creates things.  Then, at the end of each day, he says each thing he created is good and then moves on.  After the 6th day of creating, he says all that he created, including the pinnacle of his creation – humans – is VERY good.  Then, on the 7th day, he rests.

Forget the creationism part of this story for a second.  Let’s assume its all true.  Assume God is who he says he is – the ultimate, the beginning and end, the creator of the universe that spoke all things into existence.  Why would that person rest?  He could not have been tired.  One of the great thinkers and theologians of our time, Tim Keller, proposed an answer to this mystery, found right in the preceding scriptural texts.  “and he saw that it was good.”  That phrase gets repeated after each day of creating.  According to Keller, God could rest because he was completely satisfied with all he had done.  He had no need to prove himself further.  No need to strive.  No need to chase more accomplishments.  He was completely and utterly satisfied with what he had done.  So with nothing else to do, he rested.

Now we are not God.  But anyone could see how easy it would be to have true rest if you were utterly satisfied with yourself and what you had done.  You would not need to strive.  You would not need to chase the phantom of accomplishments.  You would not need to die in the pursuit of fortune building.  You could truly rest knowing that what you had done was good.

Forget about everything you know about Christianity.  Forget the hate.  Forget the bible-beating.  Forget the manipulation.  The true foundation of Christianity is this: God does not look at our accomplishments.  He looks at what Jesus did for us and says the same thing he said after each day of creation – “it is good.”  He is completely and utterly satisfied with you, not because of what you have done, but because of what Jesus did.  You can rest.  You do not have to prove yourself.  He looks at you and says “well done.”  You can rest on what Christ did for you.  Not on what you do.

Now, imagine for a second the implications if this fundamental but overlooked Christian idea is true.  What then is the point in all your chasing?  What is it all for?  If the God of the universe were truly and fully satisfied with you, what would motivate your actions?  What would be your motivation for starting that business?  What would be your motivation for earning billions of dollars?  What would be the point in setting goals and reaching them?

I can’t answer any of these questions for you.  I can only answer them for me.  For me, this truth means I no longer need to have better stuff than everyone.  I no longer need to be seen.  I no longer need to be accepted.  I know who I am.  My worth no longer fluctuates with the approval of other people or the attention of beautiful women.  The point in all my building now is to bless people like I have been blessed.  To lift others out of the quicksand that I was stuck in.  To point thirsty people to the water fountain.  To give people who are exhausted with all the demands of life something that we all deeply desire – rest.  We can rest because the only person whose opinion matters – the only one who can judge us – says “it is good” and “well done” to all those who believe in the finished work of Jesus the Christ.  Food for thought.

Written by Ivory L. Bishop, Jr. Esq.