It’s a simple fact: Reasons are everything. Often overlooked, reasons explain the WHY in our lives.  If we fail to hone in on our reasons, we may miss some important things about what really matters most to us.  For example: There are reasons why people start a job.  And reasons why they leave.  There are reasons why some people get married young.  And reasons why some wait much longer. There are reasons why some people go away for college.  And why some stay.   You get the idea.  We could go on and on about the WHYs in life.  And before you think, “What does all this really matter?”…think again.  Because it absolutely does.  Reasons guide a great deal of our lives.

Everything begins with “why?”.   Why did God choose to create the earth?  Why did He choose to create YOU?  Why did He give you the family He did?  Why did He make you the way He made you?  Why will you go to great lengths to make sacrifices for this, but not necessarily for that?

If you peek behind the curtain of your life, you may discover your reasons.  Our reasons give us an explanation of why things are the way they are.  Why we do what we do. Why we feel the way we feel.  Why we act the way we act. Maybe even why we react the way we do.  They tell us why we value some things, but not others.

Recently, I began searching for some answers in regards to why I was doing what I was doing, when I no longer felt pulled in that direction. I asked myself why letting go was so difficult, when the passion I once felt was gone. Honestly? I would like to know what you do when you are asking your heart those tough questions. After all, many of us may experience this at one point in our lives or another.

What I discovered is that sometimes our reasons are not so easy to pinpoint. I came to the conclusion that I was going to need God’s help in identifying what my true reasons were. This took some work. And a lot of prayer. It took a good amount of soul-searching. I searched in God’s Word (the Bible), and I listened to Podcasts. I read books on the subject. In short, I wanted to be sure my reasons were in line with what God wanted from me, and for me.

I love what King David asks in Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (NIV)

Once God helps us to clearly see our reasons, we can check them against His Word to see if they line up with how He calls us to walk out our journey of faith. He cares deeply about what is good for us, and what is not. I am convinced He knows me much better than I know myself. Who better to lean on than Him?

Everybody has their reasons.  I have mine.  And you have yours.  But it is always a good idea to stop and take stock of them.  So the next time you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” or “Why do I feel this way?”,  go ahead and bring God in on the conversation.  He will give you the wisdom and confidence you seek as you move forward.

-Cindy Magsig

Additional Scriptures for Study:

Psalms 139:1, Ecclesiastes 3:6, Romans 8:27, Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5, Proverbs 3:5-6