The point of life isn't my personal happiness. It's not to have good health or to find relief from painful circumstances. The point of life isn't to make money so my family can be comfortable or buy whatever we want. It's not to have a good marriage or mindful children. The point isn't to expand my mind through education or to broaden my horizons through experiences. It isn't to make an impact on the world or to leave the earth a better place than it was when I arrived. The point of life isn't to enjoy myself or to help others be happy.
This may sound harsh at first. But the truth is the point of life isn't me. I'm not the point. And as long as I insist on being the point, I will, to some degree, remain unfulfilled.
Lucky for us, Jesus tells us what the point is. He says, "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." In other words, the point is to love God through my words and my actions and to help others love God, too.
And, because God loves us, if we make him the point of our lives, he'll give us the other things we work so hard to get but never grasp. Things like joy and happiness and love. All the things our hearts really desire. Jesus says, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." Jesus wants us to have joy, but the only way to get it is by obeying Him. And He's telling us to make Him the point. If loving God and others well is our focus, everything else falls into place.
To be sure, I am not saying we won't have challenges, unsettling circumstances, or difficult relationships. But I am saying we will have a peace that surpasses all understanding in the midst of the mess.
I'm reading a book right now that speaks to this. My favorite quote so far is this:
Brokenness is realizing He is all we have. Hope is realizing He is all we need. Joy is realizing He is all we want. - Larry Crabb
What's the point of your life?
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5 comments:
Amen Sister... learning this more and more about many things - not about me. Not about us. The money isn't ours, etc. Thanks for sharing - great post.
This is probably the most profound thing you have written in this blog, but admittedly, I haven't read everything. So picture Jackie Chan's sidekick in one of his detective movies: "I can't believe the words I hear comin' out of yo mouth!" Cool!
This is amazing and such a great reminder! I was thinking that a lot this morning... sitting in worship... in a Buddhist nation... sandwiched in between a Buddhist Wat and a Muslim temple... and caught myself thinking about myself. I kept yelling at myself in my head - it's not about you. It's about God and others. Man! just a few hours later I needed this reminder once again. Thanks!
Thanks, guys! Rachel, I am proud of you!
I'm with Randall. This is one of your best. -Husband
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