what are you living for? Sunday, Mar 11 2007
Uncategorized 3:00 pm
So many people seem to be chasing something that will make them happy. They work so they can have the nice car, the nice home, the bigger TV. But when you ask them what the purpose if living is, they don’t seem to know. They seem pretty sure it’s not to chase possessions, but they don’t seem to know any more than that.
Well, it’s time we nailed this down. What is your reason for living? What does it all mean? Why do you go to work everyday?
Please leave your thoughts in the comment section. Be sure to offer your thoughts on what others are saying. On Sunday, March 18, at 10AM at the Rec Center, we will be discussing this very issue live and in person. Share your thoughts here, then come to the Rec Center and here what our pastor has to say on the matter.
March 12, 2007 at 10:13 am
I like this question! A make you think question =) This will sound really cheesy, but it’s true, my reason for living Jesus. I live for a lot of things, my friends and family, people I love, but when it boils down to it I live for those things because of Christ. I live to serve and protect all the people I love, and even some that I don’t particularly love, because I owe my life to God. In serving His people, with His heart, I serve and saccrifice my life to Him. For me, life means having the opportunity to help someone, to heal their wounds and fight for them, which I have the opportunity to do becuase Christ did it for me. Life doesn’t mean anyhing if God isn’t the center of that life. I know this through the observation of my friends who don’t know Christ, that struggle through their lives and are completely unhappy. I have my rough times too, and things are certainly not easy most of the time, but I’m happy. I’m happy because my life centers around hope and love that comes from the throne of God! He’s amazing! What else is there to live for? Ecclesiastes says quite plainly, and with a rather lengthy emphasis, that everything under the sun is meaningless… unless you have God =) I’m excited to hear about this Sunday, rock on!
March 14, 2007 at 7:41 am
I believe this is a question that many spend very little time considering…Sometimes I wonder if we fill our lives with noise and busyness just because we are scared that if it is too quiet we may find out that there is no purpose to life at all. Another option most choose is to just make the most out of life and hope for the best. In the end, if there is nothing outside of us that dictates some purpose in our lives, we are just floundering.
Is it possible that this floundering and restlesness is supposed to lead us to God?
March 14, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I think you nailed it, Rob. I am afraid if my life gets too dull, I’ll have to figure out what it’s all about. Coincidently, it is the times when life has been the quietest that I have heard God. It’s almost like God lets us chase our stuff, if that’s what we want, and he won’t even try to speak until we slow down.
On another note, I don’t think life is about work, although that is what mosts consumes me, or about doing good deeds, although that is what I feel most guilty about not doing. If I believe that God created me to be with him forever in heaven, then it must be my purpose to involve as many other people as possible in this heaven-game.
It has really struck me recently that life is extremely short. Almost nothing we do here has any greater purpose than keeping us busy until our years are up. The only thing that will matter in the end is how well we heard God, and how well we are prepared to be with him. I wish I had a lock on communication with God, hearing his will, understanding his will, doing his will; but I don’t. I’m trying to hear and understand and do, and as long as I focus on that, I think I’ll be achieving his purpose for me here.
March 16, 2007 at 12:14 pm
The older I get (I’m feeling more like a fossil every day) the larger that question becomes. When I was younger I spent my time, energy and resources on the pursuit of having fun and every new “toy” that came along. Now that stuff is like Kirstin quoted from Ecclesiastes “meaningless”. Paul said it well in I Corinth. 13:11
These days are precious to me, and I’d like to think that what I live for is “to live as Christ”. I fall way short and I am often “stiff necked” and disobedient. And as always his grace covers my fleshly efforts.
What I desire to live for now is to truly know God and share His message with others and to actively pursuit the fruits of the spirit. That sounds reasonable enough but I still struggle with implementing that in my life…but it’s worth living for.
March 16, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Ooops…that previous comment was mine, not Kirstin’s.
March 17, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I think this is a hard question to answer. As a wife, mother, and employee it often seems that I live to cook, clean, go to work, take care of animals, come home, cook, clean, take care of animals, go to bed. I’m sure many, if not most, wives and mothers feel the same way.
What gets my blood pumping is praying for someone and hearing God’s voice in prayer. To me, that’s the bottom line. If I can’t do that, I don’t feel like I have much purpose.