Seth Godin’s podcast enters my podcast app Overcast every Wednesday morning. He always talks for 10 to 15 minutes on a topic and then answers questions from listeners. A question came in (you go to the podcast site, click a link, and audio record your question, it’s not live) “What’s it all for?”
This question proved timely for me. For the 33rd year I am doing a project. I started as a volunteer to provide a service for a relative small group. And it grew. As it grew, people paid me. It’s vacation money. But it has become increasingly difficult and time-consuming. I have worked about three hours per day since the first of July and feel no progress.
What’s it all for?
It was time for that question. It’s a motivational question. Or one that suggests it’s time to quit. In my case, I help more than 2,000 high school students participate in a sport. Such activities should be an excellent path to health and personal growth for those young people.
What’s it for? It is a means of serving others.
If this is so and since my mind never ceases in wandering and wondering, what is being a follower of Jesus for?
Is it just so that I can tell others? Note: in the US, we can say that with impunity or at worst suffer a sarcastic comment. In many other locations in the world such a statement can lead to physical harm or even death.
Maybe it is less telling others what I am and more about being the kind of person who does what Jesus taught us to do to truly live–love our enemies, share our clothes with those in need, feed the prisoner, provide healing for the sick when we can, encourage the discouraged. In that case, what’s it for? Service. Showing Jesus, not telling. Showing lasts. Telling can be like the wind–here and then gone.
For you, what’s it all for?
Faith Venture 
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