A basic question

So, I've been taught two things about God. They don't seem to add up. As we all know, sometimes things that seem mutually exclusive can be true about God becaue he's just that smart. But I'm going to take a look at this anyway because it's something I've been thinking about lately.

1) Is the chief purpose of our lives to go out into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Are we here to build God's kingdom? Are we on a mission? Are we harvesters in the field?

OR

2) Is the cheif end of man to know and enjoy God?* The Bible is a story of God pursuing us, and our only aim is to know Him better. As we are drawn into a more intimate relationship with him we are transformed, and all else preceeds as a natural outflow of that relationship.


Now, it's pretty popular to write a book that says our purpose is soley to know God. Thank you John Piper and Larry Crabb.** It's also very popular to appeal to our sense of being on "A mission from God" when we are speaking from the pulpit and trying to convince Christians "on the fence" that it's time to do "x, y, or z."

I tried the first one out for most of my life, and recently decided I thought there was more truth in the second approach. This decision was reached when I realized that enjoying God as the purpose of life was much more sustainable and do-able, or as Dr. Mark Cosgrove would say less "exestentially repugnant."

But I try to be cautious any time I come across a new approach to God that makes me feel better and that life is easier than I thought. Why? Not becuase I think God hates me, but becuase I understand that the Christian life isn't inherrently a call to feel good and take it easy.

So I've been trying to decide. If I had a face to face conversation with God*** would I feel unbelievably relieved that He had the situation at hand (like a 5 year old who found out he doesn't have to make enough money at his lemonade stand to support the family when he thinks his dady might get laid off), or will I be a bit ashamed when I begin to realize the mantle of responsability that has been laid on me and how I've not been paying enough attention to it?

BOTH you say? Well you have a high tolerence for ambiguity. And when dealing with God that's a really good thing. I agree with you, it's both. But dang, we make a lot of decisions, preach a lot of sermons and feel a lot of anxiety/relief based on which frame of reference we are opperating out of at the time. I suggest we try to be aware of that.

*Heidelberg Catechism
**I liked these books, I'm just saying
***And was not blasted to freaking smithereens by his refulgent glory