Meaning and purpose

If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, wher is My reverence? – Malachi 1:6

When our daughter was 3 years old, my wife and I introduced her to the "fine art" of dishwashing. It amuses me that many preschoolers want to wash dishes but parents refuse to let them. Then, when they become teenagers and no longer desire to clean plates, parents insist that they do.

The real issue, of course, is not doing dishes. Rather, it has to do with loving, honoring, and obeying God. As children love, honor, and obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), they are showing respect for God. And when they do, they find meaning and purpose in their lives.

We are living in a world in which teen suicide is a disturbing reality. Why such despair? Too many young people have not found a reason for living. They don’t know the joy of a relationship with God.

In Malachi 1:6, God had to remind His people that He was their Father, because their behavior reflected that they had forgotten their relationship to Him. Not only had they forgotten that God was their Father but also that He was their Master, and they had failed to serve Him.

We can all live meaningful and purposeful lives. How? By knowing God as our heavenly Father, and obeying Him as our Master and Lord. – Julie Ackerman Link

Grant us, Father, hearts that love You,

Hearts that serve You day by day;

Help us find in You our purpose

For the things we do and say. – Fitzhugh

READ: Malachi 1:1-8

Knowing God gives meaning to life; obeying God gives purpose to life.

The Bible in one year:

• 1 Samuel 19-21

• Luke 11:29-54