TED Talks and The "Why"

Being a person that has the opportunity to be in front of people a lot, I often enjoy watching other keynote speakers and the way that they share their message. My boss at Servite recommended that I take a listen to a TED Talk about the "Why". TED Talks are hugely popular and I have enjoyed many of them for quite a long time,  and this was time was no different. 

Listening to Scott Sinek, I couldn't help but reflect on my own life and evaluate my ministry. It really made me think, "why am I in ministry?". As I lay in bed last night, my mind became full of different thoughts. I was struck with both profound ideas and even more profound reasons why I do what I do. But it didn't seem enough.

In the morning, I had an emptiness in my heart. Was I doing all of  this for the right reason? Was I doing it for my own glory or for God's? Why couldn't I answer a simple question of "why"? As the day continued, the emptiness became understanding. The beauty of this question is that it allows us to take a step back and evaluate. Whether you are a housewife, campus minister or insurance broker, we all have a reason WHY we do what we do.

And then it hit me. The answer to my troubling question rested in my heart. "Why" I do this is quite simple. I love God and I want to do my part to build the kingdom. Often times, we get caught up in the "how" or the "what" of our lives. The "things" we need to do and how will we be successful at doing those THINGS? We need to stop. Step back and ask "why" are we doing it.  Refocus on the truth of the WHY.

As I broke open the answer, peace filled my heart. I could sense the Spirit calming me.  We all have the "craziness" we deal with in our lives. Our "why" is what continues to motivate us and push through the struggles. Our "why" is what makes us passionate and helps others believe in WHAT we are doing and HOW we are doing it. Our WHY is what will draw others to us and have the desire to find out what makes us different than others and in my ministry, will lead people to Jesus Christ.

I pray that my WHY always remain in HIM. That my WHY not become something that I want but rather what GOD wants from me. That I may continue to serve HIM in whatever way he calls me. 

Thank you Jesus for being the WHY in my life. Thank you Jesus for being the answer to my question.

When you ask yourself WHY, what does your answer look like?