Downloadable Files:
Text:
Developing A God-Centered Perspective Of Life
Lesson 1: Where Did I Come From?
There are many fundamental questions to a proper understanding of your life. These include: Where did I come from? Who am I? Where am I going? Why am I here? What makes me unique? How can I make a difference? The way you answer these questions will make a huge difference in how you view and conduct your life. Despite many offering opinions about these questions, God is the only one truly qualified to answer them. His answers will allow you to develop a true, God-centered, perspective of life. To begin, you must understand where you came from.
Psalm 19:1-4
Many would have you believe that you are nothing more than the product of catastrophic accidents and billions of years of evolutionary processes. Such is true if there is no Creator who purposefully and intelligently designed all things. Whether you are the accidental product of random processes versus the intentional product of intelligent design will drastically impact the way you see everything about your life! Not only does the Bible assert God’s role in creating people but science simply does not hold the explanation for the origin of life (e.g. it fails to sufficiently explain how something can come from nothing or how life can evolve from nonliving things). The Bible, however, explains that all creation declares the existence of God (just like a watch declares a watchmaker, a building declares a builder, an engine declares an engineer, and a child declares parents). Therefore, you must embrace that there is a Creator of this universe and everything therein if you want to properly understand anything about your life!
Genesis 2:4-25
Genesis chapter 1 describes God creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), including what God created on each day of creation week. Particularly, God created mankind on day six (Genesis 1:26-31). Then, Genesis chapter 2 provides further detail about the creation of the first man and woman. Notice several points concerning the first people (named Adam and Eve). First, God formed each one with care and according to His limitless power and intelligence. Second, God animated what was formed from lifeless substances (dust, bone) to give people life. Third, God provided everything necessary for the people to live on earth (e.g. food, water, companionship). Fourth, God created people to be male or female (Matthew 19:4). Fifth, God created people with dominion over all the rest of His physical creation (Genesis 1:26, 28-30).
Genesis 5:1-5
God created the first man and woman with the ability and responsibility to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). Adam and Eve did this, having various sons and daughters (including Cain, Abel, and Seth; Genesis 4-5). Notice, though, that as Adam was made in the likeness of God, Seth was then made in the likeness of Adam. Genesis 1:26-27 explains that Adam was made in the likeness of God. Now, this text demonstrates that this image of God is perpetuated throughout the generations (compare also with Genesis 9:6; Luke 3:23-38; 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9). So, it is not just as though God created Adam and Eve in this special way. Instead, the image of God continues in every person of every time and place, including you! Therefore, your existence is not just as a clump of cells joined together by reproductive processes; but one that has been created in the image of God!
Psalm 139:13-16
This psalm depicts God as One who is ever-present and all-knowing. Particularly, notice God’s knowledge of you even before you were ever formed. After all, God is the One who has knit/woven you together with all the components that make up who you are (internal and external). Therefore, it is not just that God created Adam and Eve and left the rest of humanity up to the reproductive process He established. Rather, God was involved in making each person (Job 10:8; 31:15; 33:4; Psalm 94:9; 119:73; Isaiah 44:2; Jeremiah 27:5)! Therefore, no matter who you are, you should appreciate that the God who created all things has also created you in remarkable and wondrous ways. Note that even when people may think God made a mistake (e.g. defects), this is still true and God can use you to accomplish His purposes (John 9:1-3). Furthermore, God also knew all the days of your life before you were born, though still providing you with free will (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
Proverbs 22:2
When you think of what something is worth, you must consider who made it (e.g. car, clothing, artwork). The same is true about you! Although it is tempting to base your value on earthly things (e.g. social status, physical appearance, family history), you must base your value on the God who made you (Psalm 148:1-14; Acts 17:24-31). Therefore, even though there may be many things that differ in your life from others, the fact that you have the same Maker they have means you are equally valuable (no more and no less) to every other person. Whenever you consider your life, then, allow your existence to help you see the God who designed you, not focusing on the things about you that make you feel insufficient but rather on all the ways He is fully sufficient and has designed you to accomplish His purposes!
Conclusion
If you are going to understand and use your life for what it truly is, you must see yourself as the handiwork of God who has been designed and made by God in remarkable ways! If you have any other perspective of how your life came into existence, you will fail to utilize the life God has given you for the wonderful purposes He has in store. Plus, you will fail to appropriately value your life in the ways God values it.
