PONDERING... What is the chief end of man?

This is part of a catechism study we're doing on Sunday mornings.

What is the chief end of man?

Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

• 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV - "31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
• Psalms 73:25-26 ESV - "25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

BREAKDOWN

Chief end?

Today, if I start talking about somebody's end, I'm likely to conjure up thoughts of "the backside." If I complicate the term by calling it the "chief end"... I'm not sure I want to know what images I conjure. :D

SO, for the sake of clarity, let's start by point out the the word end means purpose. A man's cheif end is his (or her) primary purpose/reason to live.

Ecclesiastes 12:13  The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Man?

This is being used in the general form referring to mankind. Women are not being excluded. ;)

Glorify?

"1. To praise; to magnify and honor in worship; to ascribe honor to, in thought or words. Psa 86:9 God is glorified, when such his excellency, above all things, is with due admiration acknowledged.

2. To make glorious; to exalt to glory, or to celestial happiness.

Whom he justified, them he also glorified. Rom 8.

The God of our fathers hath glorified his son Jesus. Acts 3."-Webster's Dictionary of American English 1828

Enjoy?

To delight in, to want to spend time with or in the doing of...

God?

The receiver of our praise and the source of our joy

Forever?

Continuously, in this life and the next

SUMMARY

Our purpose in life is to praise and enjoy God. It's not about leaving our stamp on the world, making the right impressions, getting the best degrees, or having the most sensual experiences. It's about Him--period.

Do we live that way? Can we say that everything we do (1 Cor 10:31) is done for Him--to make Him known, to praise His name--and not for us?

Can we say we enjoy God? For most people, even Christians, this concept is completely foreign. We hear about a lot of reactions we should have toward God, but enjoyment? A typical reaction to God might be something like this: Believe in God--sure. Fear God--yes. Trust God, Obey God, Love God-- I try.  Enjoyment doesn't even make the usual list because we tend to separate what we feel like we should do for God from what we really want to be doing.

Here's the deal, we enjoy things we love. The more we love, the more we enjoy. I love fried chicken and can enjoy it for a good amount of time, but I have a limit. Eventually, I'll stop eating or live to regret it. Likewise, I love my job, but I still look forward to my time off. BUT, I really love my wife. I want to spend time with her because of this love. I love my kids so other things become less important when they want my time. AND when I allow silly, lesser things to get in the way of these relationships, I feel HORRIBLE because I neglected my strongest earthly loves.

If we love God, we will enjoy Him. We will serve Him, trust Him, glorify Him. If we don't, we won't.

Ponder, pray, and propagate your perceptions.

Upchurch