As people search for meaning in life there are three questions that they ask.
"Where did I come from?"
"Why am I here?"
"Where am I going?"
Everyone who has heard more than a few Bible sermons knows the answer to the first and third questions. Nearly every Christian should say, "We came from God," and "We are going to Heaven." When we ask various people what the answer is to the question, "Why are you here?", we get many different answers.
If we can find the best possible answer to this question "Why am I here?", then we can live the best possible life.
Everything around us has a purpose. Most of us can quickly tell what the purpose is for most everything with which we come into contact. But when it comes to explaining our own purpose, for many it is a difficult, if not impossible, task.
Many people are searching for a life based upon something besides their own selfish desires. They try to choose to do what they should do rather than what they want to do. I believe that without guidance from the Scriptures people can never be sure what it is that they should do. So, let's examine a few ideas from the Bible that will help us discover our purpose for existence.
Romans 8:28 tells us that God knows what our purpose is. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." I believe that He has made our purpose clear in the Bible. He has revealed to us the answer to the question, "Why am I here?"
In Isaiah 43:7, we can learn that God created us for His glory. We learn in John, chapter 17, that Jesus lived to glorify God. We want to be like Jesus Christ, so we also should live such that our lives glorify God. We can correctly conclude that the purpose for our existence is to glorify God. But this is not the simple answer I said we can discover for the question "Why am I here?" For one might now ask, "How do I glorify God?"
Jesus makes it clear in John 4:34 that His purpose for being on the earth was to do the will of God. If we want to find the happiness that Jesus our Savior had, then we, too, must be committed to doing the will of God. When we do His will, God is glorified. So, "How do I glorify God?" -- By doing His will.
By the way, no matter who you are, even if you are trying your best, it can be predicted that there will be times when you will fail to do God's will. Nevertheless, God is glorified when we keep trying to do His will even after our failures.
As you know, most Americans believe it is improper to surrender their own wills and allow themselves to be placed under the control of someone else. Our culture teaches us to be independent. We think we can't be independent as our forefathers meant for us to be if we give up ourselves and submit to another's will. But, God knows what is best for us. As His creation, He knows what we need. We fulfill our purpose not by living first the way we want, but rather by living the way we should. God teaches us through the Bible the way we should live. He wants us to do His will, knowing that we will only find true happiness by serving Him.
Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, `Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' He also who had received two talents came and said, `Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Then he who had received the one talent came and said, `Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' But his lord answered and said to him, `You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. There-fore you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
This story is about 3 servants. Two of them had discovered how to please their master through their service to him. One was unprofitable, not having learned how to serve or how to submit to the will of the master. Most of the problem seems to be related to the unprofitable servant's failure to know his master, as shown in verses 24 & 25. We can acceptably serve God only by getting to know Him. We can please God only by discovering through His Word what He wants us to do and what He wants us to be.
So we can conclude that to please God and have a meaningful and happy life, we must live to serve God through doing His will to fulfill the purpose for our existence
Many honest people would now ask, "Why should I be interested in glorifying, pleasing, or serving God?" Most in our society would say, "What's in it for me?" As we mature as Christians, we find the answer to the question, "What's in it for me?", to be of little importance. But God surely provides a simple answer to explain to the Christian and non-Christian alike why we would even consider serving Him.
When many of us became Christians we were acting out of fear. Frankly, we were afraid of going to Hell. This is not bad that our initial motivation was fear. People can be shaped by force through fear. Fear is probably necessary for the beginning of wisdom. But, fear of the wrath of God is not an adequate motivating force that can be sustained throughout a lifetime. Fear of failure will not properly motivate us to strive for Heaven. Eventually fear produces rebellion and alienation and frustration. Human nature resists and resents fear and force. People do not have to be controlled by fear and force. Christians, who do not mature beyond the stage of serving God out of fear, will not find the happiness which God has promised to those who serve Him.
To all of you Christian and Non Christian, i hope i will enjoy reading this and i pray that all of us will follow the purpose of God and not our own. Without God our existence is nothing.
As people search for meaning in life there are three questions that they ask.
Everyone who has heard more than a few Bible sermons knows the answer to the first and third questions. Nearly every Christian should say, "We came from God," and "We are going to Heaven." When we ask various people what the answer is to the question, "Why are you here?", we get many different answers.
If we can find the best possible answer to this question "Why am I here?", then we can live the best possible life.
Everything around us has a purpose. Most of us can quickly tell what the purpose is for most everything with which we come into contact. But when it comes to explaining our own purpose, for many it is a difficult, if not impossible, task.
Many people are searching for a life based upon something besides their own selfish desires. They try to choose to do what they should do rather than what they want to do. I believe that without guidance from the Scriptures people can never be sure what it is that they should do. So, let's examine a few ideas from the Bible that will help us discover our purpose for existence.
Romans 8:28 tells us that God knows what our purpose is. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." I believe that He has made our purpose clear in the Bible. He has revealed to us the answer to the question, "Why am I here?"
In Isaiah 43:7, we can learn that God created us for His glory. We learn in John, chapter 17, that Jesus lived to glorify God. We want to be like Jesus Christ, so we also should live such that our lives glorify God. We can correctly conclude that the purpose for our existence is to glorify God. But this is not the simple answer I said we can discover for the question "Why am I here?" For one might now ask, "How do I glorify God?"
Jesus makes it clear in John 4:34 that His purpose for being on the earth was to do the will of God. If we want to find the happiness that Jesus our Savior had, then we, too, must be committed to doing the will of God. When we do His will, God is glorified. So, "How do I glorify God?" -- By doing His will.
By the way, no matter who you are, even if you are trying your best, it can be predicted that there will be times when you will fail to do God's will. Nevertheless, God is glorified when we keep trying to do His will even after our failures.
As you know, most Americans believe it is improper to surrender their own wills and allow themselves to be placed under the control of someone else. Our culture teaches us to be independent. We think we can't be independent as our forefathers meant for us to be if we give up ourselves and submit to another's will. But, God knows what is best for us. As His creation, He knows what we need. We fulfill our purpose not by living first the way we want, but rather by living the way we should. God teaches us through the Bible the way we should live. He wants us to do His will, knowing that we will only find true happiness by serving Him.
Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, `Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' He also who had received two talents came and said, `Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Then he who had received the one talent came and said, `Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' But his lord answered and said to him, `You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. There-fore you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
This story is about 3 servants. Two of them had discovered how to please their master through their service to him. One was unprofitable, not having learned how to serve or how to submit to the will of the master. Most of the problem seems to be related to the unprofitable servant's failure to know his master, as shown in verses 24 & 25. We can acceptably serve God only by getting to know Him. We can please God only by discovering through His Word what He wants us to do and what He wants us to be.
So we can conclude that to please God and have a meaningful and happy life, we must live to serve God through doing His will to fulfill the purpose for our existence
Many honest people would now ask, "Why should I be interested in glorifying, pleasing, or serving God?" Most in our society would say, "What's in it for me?" As we mature as Christians, we find the answer to the question, "What's in it for me?", to be of little importance. But God surely provides a simple answer to explain to the Christian and non-Christian alike why we would even consider serving Him.
When many of us became Christians we were acting out of fear. Frankly, we were afraid of going to Hell. This is not bad that our initial motivation was fear. People can be shaped by force through fear. Fear is probably necessary for the beginning of wisdom. But, fear of the wrath of God is not an adequate motivating force that can be sustained throughout a lifetime. Fear of failure will not properly motivate us to strive for Heaven. Eventually fear produces rebellion and alienation and frustration. Human nature resists and resents fear and force. People do not have to be controlled by fear and force. Christians, who do not mature beyond the stage of serving God out of fear, will not find the happiness which God has promised to those who serve Him.
To all of you Christian and Non Christian, i hope i will enjoy reading this and i pray that all of us will follow the purpose of God and not our own. Without God our existence is nothing.
God Bless you all