Consider a hammer. It’s designed to hit nails. That’s what it was created to do. Now imagine that the hammer never gets used. It just sits in the toolbox. The hammer doesn’t care.

But now imagine that same hammer with a soul, a self-consciousness. Days and days go by with him remaining in the toolbox. He feels funny inside, but he’s not sure exactly why. Something is missing, but he doesn’t know what it is.

Then one day someone pulls him out of the toolbox and uses him to break some branches for the fireplace. The hammer is exhilarated. Being held, being wielded, hitting the branches—the hammer loves it. At the end of the day, though, he is still unfulfilled. Hitting the branches was fun, but it wasn’t enough. Something is still missing.

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Please keep reading this article over here. And then come back and tell me what you think. It’s the best short piece on this subject I’ve found.

And yes readers, you’ll be seeing a few more short commentaries but nothing amazing for a couple more weeks. I have multiple article deadlines already past, and some other top-secret time taking things with deadlines coming up quickly. You’ll have to be happy with this for a little longer.

I noticed my hit counter on the side has finally flipped the 10,000 mark (counting since March). So I decided to check out my server stats. My server seems to be recording more visits, so I’m not sure what to trust – but I’m glad to see that Oneway Purpose is growing. (not counting the slack off last month because I wasn’t writing very much here. )

And talking about that. Start getting excited, because something new and exciting is going to happen to Oneway Purpose soon.

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“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart... ” all thy purpose, all thy desires, all thy dreams, all thy longings. It is here, right here in this heart of ours that our life can change, will change, and does change. This is listed first because it is first, because it is the temple of Christ. Here he entered, here he first showed us how real He is to us. He here first asks for our dedication to Him. He has loved us beyond imagination, beyond comprehension. He has come into my heart; He has cleansed it and made it whole, He has washed it in His own blood, that I may love Him… and in turn share His love with the whole world.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul (lit. breath), yes, your very breath, the thing of most value to you, love Him with it. He is beyond the value of your life, devote it to His glory. Live to share His love with the world, live to prove He is more precious than life, live to prove He is your life.

John Piper, in his book Don’t Waste Your Life, shares some very meaningful thoughts on this. Let me share: “If Christ is an all-satisfying treasure and promises to provide all our needs…. Finish reading this article at Regenerate Our Culture

There’s something so special about a sunrise, something that transcends the beauty of the deep, bright, alternate colors… Something that goes beyond the breathtaking simplicity of each beam of sunlight as it breaks its way through the early-morning fog and shines onto our gazing eyes. There’s something incredible that fills our hearts as we stand and watch each drop of mist burn away and a new day begin. It’s a new beginning.

There’s something so amazing about a new-born child, something that can never be put into words. Something in those pure, trusting eyes, something about those perfectly formed little hands, as they reach out and grasp a hold of your finger. There’s something about the helplessness, the utter-dependence upon a greater strength, something so peaceful. It’s a new beginning.

There’s something so mind-boggling as we watch as tiny seed sprout and grow, slowly, surely, breaking its way through the hard soil and showing its first little leaf, soaking in newfound sunlight, newfound energy. There’s something about the first cracking of a rosebud, just as the earliest bit of color shows… there’s something that burns its way deep down into our heart as we watch it slowly open and for the first time display its full beauty. It’s a new beginning.

There’s something so far-fetched about a freshly hatched butterfly, with the almost ugly beauty of its short wrinkled wings. There’s something so awesome as we watch the wings unfold, expand, and flutter in the breeze, something so icy-fresh that our whole being tingles with the anticipation of a new, beautiful creature. It’s a new beginning.

And, you know, without new beginnings, we’d all die. There would be no new day, no new chance to try again, no new opportunity to trust, no new heart from above, no new life to live. Nothing. We would die a ghastly death, because we would realize so quickly how much every new breath of air means to us.

Yet, in this world all around us so many people have never tasted life. They have never felt the fresh air of mercy and grace upon the hot, dry desert of sin. They have never felt the icy-fresh waters of divine love upon their parched, cracked, and bleeding hearts. They have never felt the wonder of forgiveness, the comfort and beauty and sorrow of repentance, and the inexpressible joy of a heart cleansed, cleansed white, whiter than snow by the crimson blood of Jesus Christ. What shall we do!? Let us grasp them by the shoulders, let us pick up their hand, let us point their eyes towards their Savior and cry, “Look! The New Beginning!”