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What Am I Here For?

What Am I Here For?

Perhaps one of the earliest of young people's problems most frequently is, living itself . What am I in this world for? What should I do with my life? What was God's thought for me when he made me, and sent me here? How can I find out?

Frankly it must be confessed, however, that many young people do not ask these questions in any very definite form. Not many consciously take up the problems of life in such serious fashion as this. Nor would it be well if they were to do so. The most wholesome life is the least self-conscious. Too much introspection, looking in upon one's self — is not wise. Youth ought to be without vexing care.

But while many do not consider life's great questions in any very definite way — every earnest young person thinks more or less seriously about what he will do with his life. He passes through a period of uncertainty and questioning, before his mission becomes clear and plain to him. He has visions of beautiful things which he hopes some day to realize. He dreams dreams of the years before him, and sees himself achieving and attaining things which are honorable and worthy. But he has his days of deep thought, and sometimes of sore perplexity — before at last the goal appears shining before him, bright and unmistakable.

Much of this thinking is done for young people in their early years, by those who have the direction of their training and education. Fortunate are those who have wise parents and good teachers, not who will decide for them — but who will give them proper direction, and influence them aright. They have opportunities which others who are less favored lack. But whether they make anything worth while of their opportunities, depends altogether upon themselves.

Many young people, with splendid privileges — do nothing with their life; while others, with everything against them at the beginning — grow into fine character and great usefulness. The difference is in the persons themselves, and in the way they take hold of life. Here is where the responsibility of young people themselves comes in. What will they make of their opportunities? What will they bring out of their privileges?

"What am I here for?" Your being here is no accident; there is divine design in it. God thought about you, and then made you, and sent you into the world for a purpose . There is a place he wants you to fill. There is a work he wants you to do. Something in the great divine plan for the world, depends upon your filling your place and doing your work with fidelity. Other things will go wrong if you are not fulfilling your divine mission. Even God will not do your work for you. It is a great step toward success, to get deep into the heart the conviction that God has a plan for our life, something he made us to do.

How shall I learn what my mission is — what place God made me to fill, what bit of work is just my own? There really is nothing mysterious in this problem. No one need ever spend a moment in anxious questioning about it. There is a very easy way to find out what our mission is. If we simply do well the little duty of each day as it comes, we will be carrying out God's plan for our life , and at the end will find that we have finished the work which God gave us to do.

No one must ever imagine that his mission is some fine, renowned work, unlike any common work of common people. Most likely it is something very commonplace. The lowliest people, those who work in the humblest places, are sent by God — just as truly as those who write immortal poems or sit on thrones.

Nor must you imagine that if God made you for some definite place and work, he will lift you into your place, and put the work into your hands in some supernatural way. God never did that for anybody. Even Jesus spent thirty years in diligent study and hard work, in preparation for the three years of wonderful ministry for which he was specially sent into the world. Whatever fine or distinguished thing you may have been born to do — you must be trained for it in the common days and in the common ways.

You must begin by being a diligent, dutiful child. Some of those who read these words are in school. School-life is important. Those who loiter over their lessons, or neglect, or miss them — are dropping stitches which some day will cause sad unraveling.

Napoleon, when once visiting his old school, said to the pupils, "Boys, remember that every hour wasted at school means a chance of misfortune in future life." Thousands of men and women have failed of their mission in life, because they neglected their lessons in school!

Wellington said that the battle of Waterloo was won on the cricket-field when he was a boy. He meant that the training he had received there as a cricket player, made him ready for fighting the great battle which decided so much for the world. We never can over-estimate the importance of preparation in the early days. All life depends upon it. Neglect there, means eventual failure.

What young people are sent into the world to do now, in their youth — is to study , to work , to be faithful in the common duties of life. What larger, greater task may come for them after a while, they do not know — nor need they care to know. God's plan for them these happy days, is serious diligence in the things that come to their hands. Doing these things well, will train them for doing the greater things which the future may give them to do. Diligence in the school, will fit them for places of responsibility in business. Good cricket-playing, will prepare them for winning victories on great battlefields.

"What am I in this world for?" You are here to do God's will, and to fulfill his purpose for your life. This purpose, he will make known to you — but only day by day, as you go on. If you do today's work, whatever it is, as faithfully as well as you can — that will be a little of God's will done, a fragment of God's plan for your life filled out. This will prepare you for doing next day's part of that plan when it is put into your hand.

There is an education, a building of character, going on in you all the while, even in the commonest, dullest, routine task-work. In the daily details of household tasks or office-work, you are learning patience, promptness, carefulness, diligence, and power to endure. It may irk you to have to obey rules, to go always by the clock, to rise at the same hour every morning, to answer calls and bells; but out of this wearisome drudgery, you will get the fine things of character which will make you strong, noble, rich-hearted, helpful to others, stable and secure for others to lean upon.

But remember always, that you will never fill the place God made you to fill, nor do the work he has set down for you in his plan — unless you learn the lessons which he appoints for you in the days of your youth . Wasted youthful days, mean failure in life.

"The day has ended and the sun has set,
Unfinished is the task I planned to do;
I sit and ponder o'er with deep regret
The golden sunlight vanished from my view."