Note: this is Part 3 of a series. Here are links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7.

Over the past few weeks I’ve encouraged you to ask yourself the daunting question, Why did God create a world with me in it, instead of a world without me?

(If you’re wondering why this topic is so important to me, you might want to go back and read how I set up this series here and here.)

To help you on this journey I am sharing a tool that I return to every single week. I call it my raison d’être, a single living document where I reconsider fundamental questions about how God made me and why.

This tool gives me life because it reminds me that I am a human being and not a human doing, it directs my heart towards the hope of Jesus in my life right now, and it inspires deep prayerful reflection about myself in the presence of God.

That’s why the Preamble starts with prayer. Settle your heart. Become aware of God’s loving presence. Breathe your sentence prayers to God.

Now, what’s next?

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Part 1 – Why I Exist

This week I want to encourage you to focus on who you are apart from what you do. This first part includes five questions for your reflection and meditation.

So take out your journal or open up a new note on your computer.

It’s time to get to work!

1. Central purpose

To begin, write down a one sentence summary of your answer to the big question I asked above.

Why do you think God created a world with you in it, instead of one without you?

While this comes first in your raison d’être, you might find it easier to answer this question last. After all, this is a summary, and you might need to write everything else first and then come back to this one.

But before you do, try this.

Just start answering this question with single sentence statements. Write a list of all-encompassing answers. You can draw from Scripture or church history or a favorite saying.

Record every one-sentence summary that comes to mind in answer to the question.

What I found when I did this is that my thinking got sharper with every sentence I wrote. And then I had a lot to work with for the following questions.

In the end, though, distill your thoughts into a single sentence.

2. What I believe about myself

The question you’re addressing is simply, What do I believe about myself?

Unlike the previous one, the length of your response is up to you. My answer to this question is multiple paragraphs long.

No need to limit yourself to a single sentence.

Sunday school answers are perfectly acceptable. But don’t forget what God has taught you through your lived experience.

How does the Bible inform what you think about yourself?

How does the way you live your life display what you believe about yourself?

And let me encourage you to be as honest with yourself as possible.

The more honest you are, the more benefit you’ll get out of this.

3. Convictions I bring with me wherever I go

Like the previous section your answer here will stretch well beyond a single sentence.

For me this section takes the form of a bullet-pointed list.

I conceive of the question in these terms: What shows up when I show up?

Your answers likely will include values that are so central to you, you don’t understand why others who don’t share that value.

A personal example: I’ve learned about myself that history matters more to me than it does to most other people. Without even thinking about it, I’m always on the hunt for the context of a given situation. How did we get here? Why are things the way they are? What’s the story we’re inhabiting?

I realized that not everyone shares this value when one of my daughters observed, “Dad, whenever I ask you a question about something, you always start your answer with a date. As in, ‘Well, in 1763’ or ‘Back in 1054.'”

I replied, “I don’t do that.”

And the whole family rolled their eyes.

Of course they couldn’t have been more correct (which you too may have already experienced!) and now it’s become a running joke in our family. I can’t even get the date out before someone starts laughing!

So when I show up, history shows up.

That’s what I’m talking about here.

Another great way to think about this comes from my friend and colleague John Thomas.

He poses the question, “What leaks out of you no matter your job?”

And if you’re not sure the answer to this question, ask someone who knows you well.

4. My dark side

There are a lot of ways to think this.

And not all of them are descriptions of my own sinfulness.

Side note: If you tend to be introspective like I do, please treat this section with care. Your sinfulness is not the defining reality of your life.

Jesus is.

And because he is, we can be honest about our dark side, without spiraling into a dark-side cycle.

Now, my dark side includes my sinful tendencies, but that’s not all.

Here are some questions to reflect on:

• What are my idols? What are the deep idols beneath the surface idols? How do they show up in practice?
• What are my false beliefs? What are my limiting beliefs?
• What wounds do I carry? What traumatic events have scarred my life?
• What is it like to operate from this dark side?

My answer currently contains five paragraphs, each of which is followed by a single sentence that begins, “Operating from this dark side …”

But you can structure it in whatever way it makes sense to you.

5. Gospel affirmation

Here’s your final question: what is the good news that God has declared over you?

You can quote a favorite Scripture, use the comfortable words, or jot down a well-known statement from church history.

That’s what I did when I first penned my raison d’être.

Now my statement is much more personal. To quote John Thomas again, it “speaks directly to my brokenness.”

Whatever you write here—original or quoted—be sure it sets your own heart on Jesus your Savior.

Let this be a moment of genuine gospel renewal.

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That’s Part One! Three more sections to go.

You have a whole week to start filling in your answers to these critical questions.

Take your time. Calendarize thirty minutes or an hour to do the work. Sit in the loving presence of God.

And think.

He wants you to know why you’re here.

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What are you learning about yourself?

How are you hearing the Spirit’s voice as you reflect on the questions in Part 1? What questions would you add to the list?

Just drop a comment below to start a conversation.

Have a great week, friends!