A great source for solutions to these questions that we face frequently are found in the Bible. Now whether you believe the Bible is just a book full of good stories and morals or you believe that the Bible is the holy, inspired, Word of God, one thing is clear, it has applicable material on every page that fits even our busy 21st century lives. One particular book in the Bible that has really opened my eyes to life and its meaning is Ecclesiastes. In the beginning of this book the author, presumably Israel's King Solomon, starts out by stating these words:
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full. (NIV)
He has a very depressing point. People come and people go. Death is inevitable yet so is life. There is no clear distinction of life, except for its meaninglessness. By seeing this and trying to grasp this idea of our "busy" , "important" lives being essentially meaningless, it does not intend to set our goals, hopes, and aspirations up well. I think the wrong response to this is that one would say "well, I will make my life meaningful to ME..." That is rather narcissistic and illogical, because when life has run its course, in the scheme of eternity, things are still meaningless.
So now that everyone is thoroughly depressed, is there any true motivation we can take from life?
YES!
It would be foolish of me to end the thoughts on life at the end of the above passage. The next may sound contradictory, but if studied out and really pondered on will make sense to those really searching for the meaning of life. At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes this:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
In this verse lies our source of motivation to continue on in life, and enjoy it. In our lives it is crucial that we see the work of God in our lives. It is all around us. The trees, rolling hills, beating of hearts, harmony of city life, the chords of beautiful music, the paintings and sculptures of hard working artists, the advancements of modern technology and modern medicine. The answer: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." The Creator God, who I am fearfully and wonderfully created in the image of, gave us the blessing to enjoy a life full of amazing creations. To fear, stand in awe or reverence of this God and what he has done for me to make life enjoyable and mean something along the way is worthy of His praise, and is our full duty of life. This should please us.
It does not though. We are reminded of this daily through sufferings, trials, and problems. This is the part of the writing where we go back to the person mentioned in the first sentence. Is it profitable to our lives that we dwell in cynicism, depression, or anger over circumstances that are out of our control? NO! Even in trials we can find the gracious motivation of God, this is done by ACCEPTING the situations we are put in and realizing that these situations in life are "learning experiences". When we come out of those hard days we can be more grateful of what we have been given, and realize that the next time we encounter a hardship we can look back on our past to grow further into our walk of life.
To even further explain this let's look at the Gospel (Good News) of Christ. We have already discussed and reveled at the Creator God, who made man kind with a purpose, to glorify Him. Man, blew this purpose by going against the will of God and choosing sin over glorifying God. Because of this sin God had the right and used the right to condemn man to sufferings, trials, and hardships... (the things we battle through daily.) To add to the awe of God is that He gives all mankind a second chance through His son and the power of sovereign grace. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died blameless on a wretched cross to spill out the Father's wrath and give all of humanity a chance to accept the gift of true Love and Grace. By accepting this true gift, you find more than just a temporary meaning for life, you will find that your life will be eternal and that you are able to access the throne of God whenever to give Him glory or ask for guidance in life's hard times.
The most comforting part of all of this is that you will never be alone, stranded, or left without answers for the rest of your life.
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full. (NIV)
He has a very depressing point. People come and people go. Death is inevitable yet so is life. There is no clear distinction of life, except for its meaninglessness. By seeing this and trying to grasp this idea of our "busy" , "important" lives being essentially meaningless, it does not intend to set our goals, hopes, and aspirations up well. I think the wrong response to this is that one would say "well, I will make my life meaningful to ME..." That is rather narcissistic and illogical, because when life has run its course, in the scheme of eternity, things are still meaningless.
So now that everyone is thoroughly depressed, is there any true motivation we can take from life?
YES!
It would be foolish of me to end the thoughts on life at the end of the above passage. The next may sound contradictory, but if studied out and really pondered on will make sense to those really searching for the meaning of life. At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes this:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
In this verse lies our source of motivation to continue on in life, and enjoy it. In our lives it is crucial that we see the work of God in our lives. It is all around us. The trees, rolling hills, beating of hearts, harmony of city life, the chords of beautiful music, the paintings and sculptures of hard working artists, the advancements of modern technology and modern medicine. The answer: "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." The Creator God, who I am fearfully and wonderfully created in the image of, gave us the blessing to enjoy a life full of amazing creations. To fear, stand in awe or reverence of this God and what he has done for me to make life enjoyable and mean something along the way is worthy of His praise, and is our full duty of life. This should please us.
It does not though. We are reminded of this daily through sufferings, trials, and problems. This is the part of the writing where we go back to the person mentioned in the first sentence. Is it profitable to our lives that we dwell in cynicism, depression, or anger over circumstances that are out of our control? NO! Even in trials we can find the gracious motivation of God, this is done by ACCEPTING the situations we are put in and realizing that these situations in life are "learning experiences". When we come out of those hard days we can be more grateful of what we have been given, and realize that the next time we encounter a hardship we can look back on our past to grow further into our walk of life.
To even further explain this let's look at the Gospel (Good News) of Christ. We have already discussed and reveled at the Creator God, who made man kind with a purpose, to glorify Him. Man, blew this purpose by going against the will of God and choosing sin over glorifying God. Because of this sin God had the right and used the right to condemn man to sufferings, trials, and hardships... (the things we battle through daily.) To add to the awe of God is that He gives all mankind a second chance through His son and the power of sovereign grace. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died blameless on a wretched cross to spill out the Father's wrath and give all of humanity a chance to accept the gift of true Love and Grace. By accepting this true gift, you find more than just a temporary meaning for life, you will find that your life will be eternal and that you are able to access the throne of God whenever to give Him glory or ask for guidance in life's hard times.
The most comforting part of all of this is that you will never be alone, stranded, or left without answers for the rest of your life.
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