Why Do We Exist?
Good Morning Friends,
I spent the week end up at Disney World with my family and I would have to say that people are generally polite there but that it is less family friendly than it was ten…twenty… years ago. Of course the world has changed. One philosopher put it this way: One cannot put ones foot in the same river twice. And so it is with today’s question for no matter how many times I ask the question it seems to have a new twist to it the more I learn to love God. It is perhaps the most fundamental question of life…. Why Do We Exist?
Scripture: 16Then someone came to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ 17And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ 18He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19Honour your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 20The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these;* what do I still lack?’ 21Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ 22When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Matthew 19:16-22 (NRSV)
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17 (NRSV)
11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NRSV)
18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:18 (NRSV)
Message: The reason we exist is to be in relationship with God and that relationship changes over time because we change not God. Only after we’ve established that relationship can the things we do in this life have meaning. We need to understand at least a little bit about God and the core concept that God is love. Only as we engage in and grow in that relationship of love can we sort through the various opportunities that present themselves and make a useful contribution to Creation. Only in the comforting arms of that relationship can we face the trials common to humans or resist the damaging temptations which destroy so many others. Our primary value is who we are in Christ, not what we do. Still because we love, we do, for we also exist to glorify God through love shared. You see, the bible says, “God is love.” Now, love is not very valuable unless you share it with someone and that is why the bible says, God made us to love us. We were created as an object of God’s love. If we want to know why we exist…why we are taking a breath right now, why our hearts are beating, it is because God made us to love us. That is the sole reason. Each of us were made to be loved by God and to bring Him pleasure. Now God wants us to learn to love Him back and that’s the first purpose of life, to get to know and love Him back. We see the challenge of this in today’s scripture. The story goes like this. One day Jesus was walking down the street and a man came up and said, “What’s the most important command in the bible?” And Jesus said, “I’m going to summarize the entire bible in one sentence. Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.” That’s called the great commandment. Friends, God wants us to get to know and love Him back. So that means when we get up in the morning, we should say, “God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know you a little bit better and I want to love you a little bit more.” Because if at the end of the day we know God more and we love Him more, we have just fulfilled one of the purposes of why we exist. Friends, God did not just put us on this earth to just mark things off our to-do list. He put us here to know Him and love Him. To love each other. That’s why we exist. This is why you are receiving this devotional.
Pray we begin each day laboring in prayer, asking Jesus to take pride and sin away so that we all will live in the resurrected Christ. Pray that the barriers to our relationship with God are overcome. Pray in the great mystery… the profound and troubling mystery of our birth, life, death and resurrection. Pray that we become new creatures in Christ. Pray we become one as Jesus prayed. Pray that even now that our corruption be turned to incorruption, our mortality to immortality, our dishonor to glory. Pray that God will take our weakness and turn it into power, take our natural state and turn it into spiritual victory. Pray from time to time we jump in the river.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 