What are We Made For – Enjoyment

Greetings Dear Reader,

The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?”  Before I delve into the answer I want to consider the question.   Eventually almost everyone asks about the reason for our existence. 

The first part of the answer is obvious and important.  “The chief end of man is to glorify God…”  I could spend a week easily discussing the ways in which I should glorify God.  I could spend as much time discussing the ways in which I fail. 

What amazes me is that in something so stiff as a Catechism the second part exists.  I do not wish you to think that I have negative thoughts about Catechisms.  They have their place and value.  The problem is that they are too often learned in rote and not really learned.

That this particular one encourages us not only glorify God as our chief end matters.  The second part is that we are to “…enjoy Him forever.”   We are created for the purpose of enjoying God.  The idealist part of my brain thinks about how beautiful the world would be if we all thoroughly enjoyed God.

If we would all strive to enjoy God would live in a much better world.  We are made to enjoy him.  We are created to find joy in his love for us and the world he has created for us.   Thomas Traherne posits “You never know yourself till you know more than your body. The Image of God was not seated in the features of your face, but in the lineaments of your Soul.”

We are created to enjoy God by being created in his image.  If we really work to enjoy God it will lead us to joy. It will lead us to great things.  I must pursue the enjoyment of God in every way possible.  I am made to do so.  I am created with the need to do so.

We are all on a journey back to God.  Perhaps if we work harder at enjoying him on the way it will make the journey less burdensome.

Joy in the Journey – Michael Card

There is a joy in the journey

There's a light we can love on the way

There is a wonder and wildness to life

And freedom for those who obey

And all those who seek it shall find it

A pardon for all who believe

Hope for the hopeless and sight for the blind

To all who've been born of the Spirit

And who share incarnation with Him

Who belong to eternity stranded in time

And weary of struggling with sin

Forget not the hope that's before you

And never stop counting the cost

Remember the hopelessness when you were lost

There is a joy in the journey

There's a light we can love on the way

There is a wonder and wildness to life

And freedom for those who obey

And freedom for those who obey

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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