Purposeful Living
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
STORY
Prior to 1966, Brian Wilson wrote California dreaming songs for the Beach Boys. These were songs with tales of girls, cruising, beaches, and, of course, surfing. In the 1960s, when the British invasion came to the states, led by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and The Animals, Wilson was moved to change the Beach Boys venue by writing songs that had more depth.
After Brian prayed, he chartered for the Beach Boys a new direction, from singing about California girls to living a spiritual life. The first song for this new journey was “God Only Knows.” The song describes that absent from living in a relationship with God, an individual will have a life void of purpose.
Carl Wilson, who is Brian’s younger sibling, shared the meaning of the song shortly after it was released, “At present, our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work.”
After it was released Brian confessed, “I was scared they’d ban playing it on the radio because of the title but they didn’t.”
Paul McCartney called the song “the greatest song ever written”
God Only Knows
I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Well, life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me?
God only knows what I’d be without you
Point to Ponder
Ø Jeremiah’s experience parallels the experience of all the individuals in the Bible who are summoned by God to be a prophet. They must first hear the voice of God. Then they must invite God into their lives. Following this, they must accept the mission that God has set before them. Have you had a “Jeremiah” experience?
o For me: My Jeremiah experience came when I was called into the ministry from a career as a state trooper. As it is with all prophets, it was an uncertain calling. The clouds didn’t open revealing heaven and no angel sat at the foot of my bed summoning me. It was just a gentle tug of the Holy Spirit.
Ø Are you able to record that experience as the as we have a written testimony of Jeremiah’s calling?
o For me: I continually record my experiences as I write my daily devotionals.
Ø The song “God Only Knows” shares the message that life is meaningless absent from knowing God. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
o For me: If I did not know God and have an intimate relationship with him through Jesus, my life would have no purpose, no direction, and I would have no moral compass to live by.
Ø What mission has God called you to?
o For me: God has called me to be a devotional writer. This calling came to me in the second-grade, though I was not fully aware of it at the time. When my Christmas essay was published in the elementary school newspaper, with a great amount of joy and astonishment I did sense some inner purpose. It was not until I was in my 60s that I became aware that in second-grade God set before me my Christian mission in life, which was to be a devotional writer. For the reader, from the About page on my Narrow Pathways website, I would like to reprint the second-grade epiphany that I shared. It reads: I was born with Asperger’s, which is on the autism spectrum. Asperger’s means I have difficulty with interpersonal relationships. It wasn’t until my early 60s that I was diagnosed with this birth condition. Until then I only knew that I was “different,” and life was very difficult Once diagnosed with Asperger’s I retreated to writing full-time as it best suited by personality. I consider devotional writing to my spiritual gift. In the second grade the school newspaper published a story that I wrote about the littlest Christmas tree. As I was in the lowest reading group, I was both surprised and ecstatic to see my story in the school’s paper. Reflecting on that experience, I see my second-grade story to be an epiphany as to my future as a devotional writer, and in recognition of that I keep a Christmas tree on my desk.
Please share other Points to Ponder so I can update my list
Please share your thoughts with me – if you desire I will publish them for others to read anonymously or first name only or your entire name as you choose