What would you say is the highest goal a human can achieve? What is the greatest thing a person can seek in life? The philosophical answer is that which nothing beyond it can be attained or achieved. The Bible agrees with this philosophy and specifies this highest goal as ‘happiness in God’. As the Westminster Confession of faith says, the reason humans were put on this earth is ‘to bring glory to God and enjoy Him forever’.
Enjoying that which is most enjoyable, namely God, is the thing beyond which nothing else can be attained or achieved. Another word for this is ‘worship’. Worship is defined as ascribing ultimate value to something (Ps 29). As such, humans were specifically put on this earth to worship God; i.e. to enjoy God as their ultimate treasure. So how does one do this?
Well the way we DON’T ascribe ultimate value to God is by giving the glory and honour that rightfully belongs to God, to something else. For example:
- I LIKE God. But I’d like getting that promotion, or getting that person to like me, better.
- I LIKE going to church, but family get togethers come first.
- I LIKE reading the Bible and praying, but if the sun is out, I’m going cycling, or golfing.
In each of these instances, something else is rivalling our enjoyment of God. But if God really is infinitely more glorious, and therefore infinitely more enjoyable than work, or romance, or relo bashes, or recreation, then these things should never get in the way of worshipping God.
The highest goal a human can achieve is ENJOYING going to church every Sunday, and ENJOYING spending time with God in private devotions every day. There IS nothing beyond enjoying that which is most enjoyable. So can I encourage you to pray in 2021 that God would transform your heart so that He is the thing you look forward to the most every day, and especially on Sunday.
