What gets you up in the morning?

For many, it’s a matter of necessity. It’s debt. As the old saying goes, “I owe, I owe – so it’s off to work I go.”

Everyone must pay the bills, but not everyone starts the day with the same degree of enthusiasm.

So, what’s the difference? Purpose.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism, approved by England’s Parliament in 1648, tried to help people focus on life’s most important priorities with its very first question and answer:

Q: What is the chief end of man?

A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

Living in a way that brings glory to the Lord may seem like an increasingly rare occurrence, especially as culture grows more secular. And instead of striving to enjoy God, far too many seem inclined to enjoy themselves by chasing all the world’s vices.

John Wooden, the legendary college basketball coach, used to tell his players that the key to winning games on and off the court was to “Plan your work, and work your plan.” He counseled, “Learning to set goals is a master skill that gives you something to navigate towards.”

Coach Wooden was a wise man, but that wisdom didn’t come from his genius. It came from his Bible. Wrote King Solomon, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5).

Having and making a plan is a critical step on the pathway to success.

For nearly a half-century, pro-life stalwarts possessed what might be considered a magnificent obsession: right the wrong of Roe, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in all fifty states.

Many gave Roe’s reversal little chance, especially since it was affirmed in 1992’s “Casey” decision. But in 2022, “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” wrote Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito.

“Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”

Pro-life advocates had a plan: elect candidates who champion life and elect presidents who will appoint justices to the Supreme Court who recognize the United States Constitution doesn’t contain a right to abortion.

The plan took time. It met with the plenty of obstacles. But victory was realized – even as the battle still rages on.

The realization of magnificent obsessions doesn’t always materialize overnight. It’s more chess than checkers. It’s often a matter of sowing seeds that require watering, time, and patience.

In many ways, the 2024 election is a battle of magnificent obsessions. As you fill out your ballot, you’ll be voting for one or the other: life or death, freedom or government control, sexual truth or sexual confusion.

Problems that unfolded over years are rarely solved in days, weeks, or even months. But God’s wisdom demands that we first choose the right obsession.

If you vote – and how you vote in this upcoming election will reflect your obsession.

How the collective country votes will reveal the nation’s priorities, too.

Not sure how to vote?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him,” wrote James (James 1:5). 

Image from Shutterstock.