My why is something that is literally on my mind each day. I am constantly thinking and praying about my purpose and trying to understand the calling God has for my life. This sermon taught by Pastor Touré Roberts of The Potters House at One LA, answered so many questions and helped me gain a lot of clarity. I hope it blesses you as it did me.

Listen

Esther 4:1-14 KJV
1 ‘When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
2 And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.
5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? '

3 Types of Why

Situational Why: This has to do with being self aware. This has to do with your personal motives and motivation behind actions. Not what you did, but why you did it.

Ex: I did a good deed, but I didn’t do it because I am an authentically genuine person, I did it so I can manipulate.
This is about you being self aware because if you don’t know why you are doing what you are doing, you could be in unhealthy patterns that will thwart the purpose and plans that God has for your life.
Being whole is consistently drilling down to the why.
Understanding: Why do I think that way, why do I feel that way?
Every feeling we have is connected to a thought.

Get to the why that’s creating the patterns.

2. Seasonal Why: Your motivation; I’m in it, I won’t be in it forever, but I understand the why that keeps me in it.

3. Foundational Why: This is about purpose. This is the Big Why, the why of your life.

You are going to always have many what’s in your life, and your what’s can change. But at the foundation there should be one why: purpose.
You have to be awakened to purpose.
The most optimized and effective life that will be lived is a life where everything you do and say is rooted in your Big Why: alignment.
Imagine that everything that comes out of you in connected to the big why of your life.
When you don’t know your Why your What will be random
Anytime you have randomness you have waste.

Jeremiah 1:5
'“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” '

You are a what, but the bigger idea of you is a why.

Your why is your clarity.

We need clarity because in life we need something to combat the hazes of life.
A lot of stuff that happens to us is to make us more qualified for our why.
God is the potter we are the clay. In other words, God has a vision for us.
Even when things get hazed we are still in the potters hand.
Peace returns when you come back to your why.

2. My why reclaims my fight.

It empowers us to dig in.

3. My creativity is optimized when I get back to my why.

Creativity is an amazing gift from God.
Creativity is the difference between feeling limited and unlimited.
As long as you are alive you have the ability to go further than anyone else we’ve ever known.
When you get back to your why your creativity is optimized.

4. My joy is in my why.

God will never give you a divine purpose that you don’t have joy about

5. My strength is in my why

Your why never leaves you because your why predates you.
There were some disappointments that were ordained because of your why.

Esther had grace and favor assigned to her life before she even came to the awakening of her own why.

Sometimes favor and grace has to manifest, and it will not manifest until the proper time.

Favored people don’t expect normal results.

In order for Esther to walk in her why she had to overcome her fear, her insecurity , and her sense of inadequacy.
The Holy Spirit does not move you in comfort. The Holy Spirit comforts you as he moves you to take risks.
Don’t let your fear make you irrelevant
If you stay completely silent, because there is a why on your life you will ultimately dissipate into conformity and forfeit your legacy.
We are put in this world to change it. That’s why there is nobody like you.
The only reason God put us hear on this earth is because of our why.
There is legacy connected to you.
Your why is connected to what God wants to do in generations past you.
The threat was neutralized before the weapon was formed
Any weapon that is formed against you has already been neutralized in the plan of God before the weapon was even formed.
Life has to get permission from God before it can hurt you.
No matter how severe the pain there will be a glory attached to it that is greater than the pain. (Romans 8:18)
You’re alive and where you are because there is a why assigned to your life.

I hope that these sermon notes blessed you as they did me! As always I want to remind you to listen to the sermon for yourself because you may catch something that I didn’t notate.