Why Do You Get Up in the Morning?

Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Philippians 1:18-23 ESV). Now that we have moved to an apartment we are forced to walk our dog on a leash each time he needs to go outside. He has done well on a leash considering that he had more than a half acre to roam at our house. I will say that it keeps him out of trouble when he’s on a leash. However, the real issue is that when he’s ready to get up and go out in the morning, I may not be! And, trust me when I say that there is no denying him outside no matter what time it is! There’s something very disconcerting about a wet dog lick on your face at 6 am in the morning. Not long ago I saw a photo within an advertisement of a man shaving. It asked the question "Is it an alarm or a calling that gets you out of bed in the morning?" Hmmmm… that really began my wheels turning. It’s a good question. It seeks the answer of our purpose in living. It forces us to examine our passion about life. I’ve got to answer the question of why I get up in the morning. Is it just to let the dog out, or is there something far greater at work? The answer to all those questions is relatively easy. All of us have something or someone we live for. We possess some passion that drives us on, giving our lives purpose; we have some sense of meaning raising it above the level of mere existence. We don't want our lives on this earth to be some temporary aberration in the greater scheme of creation. We want to count for something. The Apostle Paul was clear that his passion was Jesus. Our reading today is his clear statement of his longing to be with Jesus in heaven and his commitment to make every moment of life on earth count for the good of others and his growth. Remember that this is the same man who was known throughout the Roman world as a man committed to killing Christians. Of course that was before his experience in meeting Christ on the Damascus road and having his life forever changed. Now he would serve Jesus with as much passion as he once served other interests. Can you imagine what a different world we'd live in if more Christians served the Lord with the same level of commitment that they use to serve others with? There are two questions every believer should ask. Saul asked two questions on the day of his conversion. "Who are you, Lord?" and "What will you have me to do?" Why DID you get up this morning?