Para saan ako babangon ngayong araw? Sa pag-aaral? Sa trabaho?

Pero nakakapagod na. Nasa top ako ngayon, pero paano bukas? Paano kung bigla na lang bumaba ang grade ko, or worse, mag-fail ako? Sinakripisyo ko na ang Netflix, KDrama, at Mobile Legends. Pati pamilya at mga kaibigan ko, napabayaan ko na. Paano kung hindi pa rin sapat?

Para sa pamilya, sa pag-ibig, o sa mga kaibigan?

Minsan pakiramdam ko na ako na lang ang laging nagbibigay. Minsan ubos na ubos na ako. Paano naman ako? Paano yung mga pangangailangan ko? Hindi ba kailangan ko rin ng atensyon at pagmamahal?

Ngunit kung hindi para sa mga ito, para saan nga ba ang araw-araw ko?

When I first knew of Jesus Christ, I thought that the only thing I needed to know was what He saved me from—the pain of eternity in hell, the wrath that my sin deserved, the labels that I and other people imprisoned me in, a pointless life revolving around accomplishments and accolades. I do not deserve being saved from these.

But I never really thought about what He saved me for. I wouldn’t have taken a lot of things for granted if I only knew the answer to this earlier in my walk with God.

You see, I thought He saved me for heaven. But if He did, then what is my entire life on earth for? Why couldn’t He just pluck me out of this broken world and send me straight to paradise?

Next, I thought He saved me for a good life, so that others could see what an awesome God He is. But if He did, why are there so many times I find myself in painful and difficult circumstances?

And then I thought He saved me for purposeful work, so that other people’s lives could be touched by mine. But if He did, why are there so many times I find myself burdened and tired with seemingly pointless endeavors? If I were to simply touch lives, how can I explain what happened to Jeremiah, who spent his life preaching to people to turn back to God, only to die in the end with no one listening to his pleas?

I then read a verse that opened my eyes.

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

2 Corinthians 5:18 (NLT)

The verse talked about the purposeful work of reconciling people to God, and yet that purpose is dependent on God bringing us back to Himself. Could it be that God saved us primarily for a relationship with Him and not for purposeful work, a good life, or heaven?

It certainly makes sense, because don’t we always say that Christianity is a personal relationship with God that overflows into loving others? And haven’t we learned that it takes effort and constant communication for all relationships to grow? Yet how many of us can really say that our relationship with God is something that we live for every day?

It can be one of the reasons God allows pain and suffering. Don’t we run to Him and cling to our hope in Him in moments of despair? And when there are breakthroughs and joy-filled moments, don’t they show how marvelous, amazing, and wonderful this God is, whom we have the privilege of knowing intimately?

In all these, God wants you and I to experience the thrill and the tears, the joys and the pain, with Him, and not apart from Him. In all these, God is concerned that today, you and I would get to know Him more, and not that a task would be done. In all these, God loves it that you and I choose to trust and depend on Him, rather than on our own strength and wisdom. In all these, God wants to shower you and I with a lavish love in the midst of all our mess, so that we can shower others with the same kind of love.

Ngayon, alam mo na kung para saan ang araw-araw mo. Nawa’y bumangon ka nang puno ng pag-asa at kasabikan na makilala pa Siya.

I’ll be their God, they’ll be my people.

They won’t go to school to learn about me,

or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.

They’ll all get to know me firsthand,

the little and the big, the small and the great.

Hebrews 8:10,11 (MSG)