A pdf of this post is available at: Man on a Mission.
This post marks the beginning of a new set of posts on our blog: each month Pastor Montgomery and I will have a word of encouragement for the men of our church. The hope is that these will encourage men in their walk with Christ and in biblical masculinity. Each post is aimed at prompting discussion at our men’s discipleship times, and so you’ll find questions at the end.
Many men have no quest. They have no direction, and drift through life, aimless and confused, pushed from one thing to the next. “Why am I doing this? I don’t know. So-and-so said I need to.”
Other men have a quest, but their quest is all about them. They’re passionate about their work or about their hobby—maybe they’re even passionate about theology or the Bible, but in all these cases, the underlying quest is: I need to make a name for myself.
The deep desire that animates Pastor Montgomery and me in our new men’s discipleship plan is to call men to the great quest of the Christian life, which is to show how excellent God is. This means that our life is all about God: we want to offer everything we do to him as an act of love and worship (Rom 12:1–2). We want everything we do to reflect his goodness by following his commands (John 14:15). When people see our lives, we want them to think how great God is (Matt 5:16). Here are three matters every man needs to think about regarding their own life quest:
1. What is my real quest?
There are “official goals” and then there are the real goals. Officially, young people go to college to learn and get a degree. But really, many of them are there to party. Officially, you may say that your life quest is to magnify God’s goodness. But how do you know what your real quest is? We are often self-deceived!
Ask yourself some searching questions:
- When you have free time, how do you spend it? How do you think about spending it? Boredom suggests that we have no quest. Concern solely for our own enjoyment indicates that our life is all about us.
- What do you ask God for in your prayers? Not praying at all suggests we have no quest. Praying some variation of “my kingdom come” (vs. thy kingdom) indicates self-absorption.
- What do you daydream about? What do you wish you had? And what excites you most when you get it? When the glory of God is our great goal, we will rejoice when we see more of his greatness, and when others do too. We will rejoice in our repentance and faith.
Jesus called the disciples to a new life of following him, and that meant leaving behind their old quests. Zacchaeus left his hoarding of money and began seeking to honor Jesus through a life of generous love. Officially, you may say that your life is for the honor of Jesus. Ask yourself honestly: is the honor of Jesus the great purpose that stirs your heart and animates your whole life?
2. Why should we be passionate about God’s quest?
Often it is not a big struggle to understand what is the right thing to do. Our biggest struggle is wanting to do the right thing. If we’re not really trying to honor Jesus, what are we missing? Why should this quest fire us up? Here are a few reasons:
- When you’re life is about God’s honor, you have struck upon the most important thing in the universe. Just think: we exist first of all to bring him pleasure by being like him. Nothing will produce that sense of satisfaction, that sense that “things are as they ought to be” as when all creation is praising him and giving him glory. You get to be a part of bringing that about.
- It’s so exciting to be part of something that is bigger than you. So many men long for this. It’s why, for all the horrors of war, many men missed it afterwards: they loved the sense of joint purpose for the good of their country. As valuable as our country is, nothing is bigger or grander than the glory of God. It’s worth living for! When we serve God and Christ, we are serving our true King and our true country. Do you realize: this is God’s own quest, the goal which Jesus himself lived for!
- You have a vital role to play in the advancement of God’s kingdom. Every man (not just the pastors!) is an agent for building up the body of Christ (Eph 4:12), whether through words or deeds of love. Jesus even says you will do greater works than he did in his earthly ministry (John 14:12).
- Nothing is more delightful, more beautiful, and more interesting than knowing God (Ps 37:4). It’s not that the other things that excite us are all wrong, but that they are ultimately too small. Men were made for a greater quest! Why settle for anything less?
You don’t want to miss out on the greatest quest because you’re preoccupied with some lesser quest. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you are God’s agent for furthering his kingdom until Jesus comes again.
3. What do men do who are passionate about their quest?
So you want to be part of the great quest of bringing honor to Jesus. Or you have already been on the quest, but your will is flagging, and you want to ramp up your pursuit of him. What do you do? A few thoughts:
- You need to get serious about this. This is going to require more than just a little burst of willpower. You’re going to have to make some changes.
- One change is to start earnestly praying that God would make your life to be all about him. He can set your heart aflame! The key to long-lasting change is to remember that there is nothing better than him.
- You’re going to need the help of the body of Christ. Ask people close to you to hold you accountable about the quest. “For if [one should] fall, one will lift up his fellow” (Eccl 4:10).
Our quest is going to take our whole lives to complete. We’ll need Jesus every step of the way to keep us focused on the great goal, “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). And believe me, when you arrive at the end, you won’t regret a moment of it.
Discussion Questions
Comprehension questions
- The highest goal is to bring glory and honor to God in all of life. What does that mean?
- What’s so great about the goal God has set for us, to bring him honor and glory?
Application questions
- Honestly, what is your real life quest? Are there competing quests in your life?
- Do you find it stirring to seek God’s honor in all of life? Why or why not?
- What are some first steps you resolve to take to get serious about God’s purpose for your life?