Why do I exist?
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."1
Many, if not all, of us have probably asked ourselves these questions at some point: Why do I exist? What is the reason for my life? Is there a purpose for me? These questions arise especially when we feel lost or when we are faced with sadness and disappointment. In those moments, we often have a feeling of emptiness that leads us to question the meaning of our life.
However, this generation has increasingly avoided asking these questions. We have become a society of consumption, entertainment and the search for maximum productivity, because we think that this is how we will fill the emptiness we feel. We desperately search for meaning and happiness, but it seems that the more we search, the less we find and at the end of the day we continue to feel lonely and empty. This is because we have turned away from our Creator, the only one who can give us deep meaning.
God created us to be in relationship with him, to walk with him every day, to worship him for who he is and for his great works. He created us to live in such a way that we glorify Him with our lives. In the Garden of Eden, man turned away from God's purpose and chose to become his own god. Because of this, we turned away from the Father and lost our reason for being.
But there is still that longing to fill the void that the absence of a relationship with God has left us. We were all created to worship, so we will always seek to worship something or someone. In his writings, the reformer John Calvin reflected, among other things, on the fact that the human being is essentially a religious being. He meant that human beings create religions because they seek to connect with God, to reconnect with His purpose.
But we, in our strength, would never be able to reconnect with God. That's why he was the one who reconnected with us through the work of Christ. When we believe in this redemptive work, repent, and surrender to the Lord completely, we discover the true purpose of our life.
This is what the apostle Paul teaches us in today's passage: We have been redeemed by Christ to live out God's purpose for us, which is to be holy and blameless, living as beloved children of the Father, to the praise of his glory. That's where true joy lies, and that's where the meaning of our life lies.
Suggested Prayer: Dear God, today I come to you to ask you to help me live a life that pleases and glorifies you. I ask your forgiveness if my heart, my mind, and my time, have sought meaning outside of you. I recognize that my value is in you, you give me joy, peace, and direction. I want to worship you and live to the praise of your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.
1. Efesios 1:4-6 (NVI).
Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.