Dear Amy,

What is this life for?

This has been stated with exceeding clarity by those who went before us.

What is the chief end of man?

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

― Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1647

This can refocus and reframe our whole lives, especially that word enjoy. But let me for a moment observe that our glorification of the Lord and our enjoyment of him will be so much the greater in our post resurrection life, so let me ask, what is this life for?

Here’s a related question. Is this life more about the journey or the destination?

Truly I long for the destination, to arrive in the presence of my Lord and Saviour, to finally stand face to face. John describes the meeting as it will be.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

― Revelation 21:1-2

This is the bride of Christ, his beloved church of which you and I are members, Amy, and in the words of that beautiful song,

She will be who he adores, this is what he made her for.

― Casting Crowns, Wedding Day

But what is this preparation of which John speaks?

The preparation is this life. It is the journey. The destination that I must therefore focus on is that of the state of my heart. I desire to arrive well, welcomed into heaven with smiles and joy, not as one escaping through the flames (1 Corinthians 3:15). In advance of that, there is heart-work to be done, so that on that day I will not be ashamed at the smallness of my own heart and its miserly love for my Saviour and for my fellow travellers.

And so this realisation informs every choice I make on the journey. The Holy Spirit continues to do his work of sanctifying grace in my life and I surrender to it joyfully and my heart is transformed. Slowly. Surely. Through each painful moment, I continue to die to self and live for him, all the while longing for that day, and all the while growing in love for my wonderful Saviour and his beloved church.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

― Matthew 5:8

Journey well, Amy! 🙏