No Why?

I don't know if I would call it a trend or just something that has been taking place for so long that no one has really noticed.  I was listening to Glenn Beck yesterday on the radio and he posed an interesting statement.  The statement was basically that we need to know what our "Why?" is about the things we do.  As I started to think about that more and more, I have come to the conclusion that many of us don't really have a "why" or know "why" we do many of the things we do.   Traditions have been passed down from generation to generation and no one has bothered to ask why.

I know I am guilty of telling my kids, "because I said so," when they ask why.  However, I am also in the habit of trying to explain to them the reason for my decisions.  I want them to know and understand why I do something, not just that I do it a certain way and that they should do it that way as well.

I think the fact that we do things without knowing why or truly understanding why is a major issue with our society today.  Not only that, but it appears to be an on going issue for quite some time.

I was once part of a couple different churches that held fast to many "rules."   These churches held so fast to these rules that I would venture many of them didn't even know the "why" behind them.  Without knowing the "why" they are just rules and really have no meaning other than "because I said so."  No body likes the "because I said so," reason.  It doesn't stir up anything inside of anyone. It does not help them see the heart behind the rule.  It loses all sense of relationship that could be involved.

I know over the past year, I have written many times about relationships and how important they are.  I think that if we really want to have quality relationships we need to start asking ourselves why we do the things we do and examine if we are doing things either wrong or without reason.  I wonder how many things we do that just have no meaning or reason to be done anymore.

I think "why?" is a question we need to begin asking and after asking searching for answers.  I imagine we will be surprised at many of our answers and many of us might be able to change some of the things we do because we will realize there is a better way we have just missed it for doing it the way we have always done it.

I'm not necessarily being specific about any one thing, but I think we have plenty of reasons to look at our spiritual life, our family life, our job life, and our social life to really search for meaning in what we are doing.  I think God has meaning for us and we can get so focused on the doing, that we forget why we are doing it in the first place.