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Developing A God-Centered Perspective Of Life
Lesson 4: Why Am I Here?
You have been made by God (Psalm 139:13-16) in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and will live eternally in either Heaven or Hell (Matthew 25:31-46). These are all critical facts to realize about your existence. However, they are much more than merely interesting points to know about yourself. Instead, a true God-centered perspective of life will allow these facts to deeply impact how you view the purpose of your earthly life and strive to live accordingly.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, 18-23
King Solomon (the author of Ecclesiastes) was a man who seemed to have everything from a worldly perspective: Money, possessions, relationships, pleasures, fame, etc. With the world at his fingertips, he tried to find meaning and satisfaction through all physical things. However, instead of finding such, he found futility (vanity)! Though some temporary pleasures could be enjoyed through earthly things, it was all meaningless because of their temporary nature. Therefore, Solomon’s words in this book should serve as a warning for the rest of us! His advice: Enjoy the blessings God gives to you (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26) but recognize it is all ultimately meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11)! Determine not to waste your life by pursuing temporary things that will be taken away from you at death (if not before)!
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
After carefully considering his observations, Solomon concluded that only fearing God and keeping His commands were found to be worthwhile. Although everything else is temporary, living to please God will matter to what you would experience after your earthly life is over when God judges you (2 Corinthians 5:10)! To “fear” God involves two critical components. First, it involves a terror of God for the consequences He can give us when we disobey Him (Genesis 3:8-10; Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 10:30-31). Second, it involves reverential respect and awe of God for who He is and all that He has done (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 33:8-9; Habakkuk 3:2). Then, if you possess a true fear of God, you will then do what this God has commanded (Deuteronomy 8:1, 6; John 14:15; 1 John 5:3; Hebrews 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Although God allows you to spend your life pursuing earthly things, He urges you to embrace this deeper purpose for your life that will impact where you spend eternity!
Luke 12:13-21
When Jesus encountered brothers who were arguing about their earthly inheritance, He told a parable that summarizes how easy it is to get sucked into a pursuit of worldly things and lose focus on what truly matters. Despite all the man’s focus and efforts on accumulating and building things to enjoy on this earth, his earthly life was taken away from him in death. At that moment, he lost everything he had worked for throughout his entire life, and they were left to another. So it will be if you put the focus of your earthly life on money, possessions, pleasures, relationships, fame, and anything else that pertains to this life under the sun! Not only will your earthly life have been wasted, but you will then also lose your soul because you will be spiritually bankrupt, having put your treasures on this earth rather than in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:19-31)!
Galatians 6:7-10
When you plant a garden, you don’t focus on the seeds that are the easiest, most convenient, or nicest looking. Instead, you focus on the fruit you want to eat when the harvest comes! Then, when you know the kind of fruit you want to harvest, you will know what kind of seed you need to plant. Your life works the same way! You must begin your search for the meaning/purpose of your life by determining what you want the outcome of your life to be (start with the end in mind). Option 1 is to experience eternal destruction in the fires of Hell. You will experience this outcome by living to fulfill your own fleshly desires rather than living in obedience to Jesus. Option 2 is to experience eternal life in Heaven. You will experience this outcome by focusing on spiritual things and living in obedience to what God’s Spirit has revealed in the pages of Scripture. So, the choice of what you will plant in life is yours to make. Undoubtedly, the only worthwhile choice is to focus on the things of God and live accordingly (Matthew 7:13-14, 24-27)! Anything else is a wasted life!
Acts 17:24-31
God has created all people for a specific purpose: That they (you) might seek God! Therefore, God did not create you in His image so you could live a few self-serving years on this earth focused on temporary fleshly things, die, and then spend eternity separated from Him in the punishment of Hell! Instead, God created you so you will seek after Him to know who He truly is and what His will for your life is – and find Him so that you can spend your earthly life honoring and glorifying Him and then spend eternity with Him in Heaven! Thankfully, He has given you everything you need to do this through both the testimony of evidence given in creation and the instructions He has given in the Bible (Psalm 19:1-11; Romans 1:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). Although you have sinned and fallen short of glorifying Him in your life (Romans 3:23), you can now repent and find forgiveness through Jesus and glorify God in your life again (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:3-12; 2:1-10)!
Conclusion
You must embrace the spiritual purpose God has designed for your life on this earth. Although it is easy to get distracted by all the earthly things you may like to have or experience, you must stay focused on what ultimately matters. This is a relationship with God that He has made possible through Jesus Christ and spending eternity with Him in Heaven. To do this, you must focus on seeking God by fearing Him and keeping His commandments!
Discipleship Questions
What did Solomon conclude about finding meaning and satisfaction through earthly things?
Why is every physical thing ultimately meaningless?
What did Solomon conclude was the only truly worthwhile thing?
How does Jesus’s parable of the rich fool teach about what truly matters in life?
How should the principles of sowing a reaping impact how you live your earthly life?
How will you need to live if you desire the outcome of spending eternity with God in Heaven?
Why did God create you?
How has God made it possible for you to seek and find Him?