“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
Life is hard, and sometimes, the expectations that come along with it seem impossible. This world is often in a hurry, trying to achieve the next best opportunity. This isn’t necessarily bad, but the one question to ask ourselves through it all is, what's my motive behind everything I do?
I was in Virginia this past week for work training, and a conversation came up about working, performing, and pushing ourselves for long hours to achieve goals. The question was raised: What’s your “why” in all of this? Some people shared that their "why" was family, money, and fame. But it was much more profound for me. This question made me think about why I do what I do.
The verse that stood out to me in this pondering was Matthew 7: 7-8 (NIV), which states, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
For me, each day, my goal is to knock at the door of Jesus to help my “why” be aligned with His. As Christians, sometimes we get wrapped up in materialism, chasing our dreams, or we crave approval from others that we forget we must stand at the door of Jesus and align our motives and desires with His will.
As this conversation continued around the conference room table, it stood out to me that our first answer to our “why” should be Jesus. Without Him, nothing else matters. This revelation helped me see I can't do anything worthwhile without Jesus. And my “why” is void if it doesn't point back to Him. As the chattering continued about family, money, fame, and goals, it struck me that the only way our doors will truly open and satisfy is if we stand at the door of Jesus and knock. He is the only one who can truly open up and reveal our “why” when we seek Him earnestly.
At the end of this conversation, a verse that popped into my mind was Ephesians 2:8-9, which declares, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (NIV).
God is in control of everything. It’s not about the long hours we work, the money, or the fame; it is about Jesus. Our works don't make God love us any more or any less. By His grace and our faith in Him, we get to uncover our “why” and our motive for everything we do every day.
In the end, God’s got this. When we stand at the door and knock and seek Him continually, He always provides. God is the one who opens the door for all His beloved children. We walk in freedom and rejoice because our “why” is Jesus.
Lord, I praise You for Your great power in my life and the lives of those I touch. I ask You to direct my steps in everything I do and help me always make You the reason for every “why” in my life. Amen