The Lord's Purpose ...

Wednesday, May 5, 2021. When you think about goals and purpose, what is the framework in which you act? We are all living in a social environment! And most of our actions can only be understood in this particular framework. When you have a little business, you work with customers. Their ideas about you and your products will influence what they buy and how they behave. You will have to pay attention and act accordingly.

When you work as artist, you have your audience. Their preferences will strongly influence your performance. It will be the guiding principle for your choices, what you compose, what you select, how you carry out your work.

Purpose of Life …

What is the purpose of our life. Is it your business? Is it your art? Of course we need business, since we need to buy food and clothing. Humans also need art - as a way to think about us and our environment. Art is a reflection, sometimes with our mind, sometimes with feelings, relationships, interaction, fear, anger … But nor business nor art can completely fill our life and our desire. What is it, that can fill us?

I have been reading the proverbs recently, and these very old advice from the Old Testament takes up all the questions of smart thoughts about life and death. Listen - this is one of the key commands of the whole bible. We are asked to listen, and to understand. Humans are given a mind and a heart to listen to the words of God.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. 21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. 22 What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. (Proverbs 19, 20-23)

Desire …

All humans desire to be loved. All humans want appreciation and acknowledgement. It is a strong desire. But acknowledgements form humans alone is not what can fill our desire. Humans are different from animals. We have a dimension in our heart and mind, which points beyond the physical limitations of this creation.

It is interesting. When we look at the whole range of science and art today, we can see how far human activity is special within the world as we know it. The old biblical words about the special role of men have shown themselves to be deeply true! I think that this book had wisdom in it which was beyond human understanding, all the time, from 1000 BC to today.

The bible points us to the eternal Lord, to the God which made it all. He is larger than the universe, and yet very close to us as humans, close to our heart and our mind. He knows us, and he gives us purpose, which we can accept and trust. This is called faith. It is the relationship to an eternal father and mother. Fascinating indeed! (Roland Potthast)