Posted by My Take on November 23, 2001 at 02:36:41:
In Reply to: Please Indulge Me (***LONG***) posted by Dave on November 21, 2001 at 15:24:11:
Hey guys...
I read with great interest your post, Dave. And, i can understand how you could feel that way. In the posts below, there have been several references to "seeking fulfillment in life from deeper things" and lots of people talking about improving the world... Now I can't say for sure what exactly these people meant, but I'm going to say what I think, and i don't think i'll be the only person who feels this way. Perhaps this is out of line for this page, and if so, i apoligize. And I might get roasted for this, but i really don't mind. So, here's my take on the whole meaning-of-life thing.
It has been stated on this thread that the meaning of life is the improve your little corner of the world. And, I think everybody has experienced the nice little feeling you get from doing something nice, just to do it. But, let's dig deeper. I challenge anybody to tell me of a career that provides them with complete satisfaction and happiness. You might think yours does, but i think that if you examine yourself close enough you will find that somewhere in your heart there is a sense of just how meaningless it really is. Tell me of one person who strives their whole life for money, then finally one day reaches some magical amount that gives them meaning in life, complete satisfaction, and peace to accept any problem that comes. Or tell me about a job that satisfies the soul, for a lifetime, and gives the person the deep contentment from knowing that everything is going to work out perfectly.
What i'm getting at is this: Nothing, here on this earth, can offer you total gratification. No matter how much you love something, one day you will wake up and realize that it has been pointless. Your life is getting shorter every day, and the inevitable is drawing closer. If you're guessing at this point that this is going to be a sermon, you're right. You see, I found out awhile back that every human being out there has a little hole in their heart. We try to fill it with all kinds of stuff- money, relationships, even music, but no matter what we try to put there, it's not a perfect fit. There is only one thing that can fill the gap perfectly, and it's not a thing at all- it's a person, and his name is Jesus Christ. When we live for this world, we often become bitter because of the futility of everything we do towards the grand scheme of things. The solution to this is to realize that our purpose on this sphere we call earth is to discover our Creator, the one who put us here and will take us back.
Now before you blow this off as a bunch of feel-good balogna, think back to the good feeling you get from helping somebody out. Why do you think that is? Well, you say, it comes from just knowing what is right. Well, that's right. Every person has a "built in" sense of what is right, and what is wrong. Some people have distorted theirs, or learned to ignore it (as must be the case for the murderers of 9/11). But where, originally, does this sense come from, and why do we have it? The answer is God gives it to us so we can know what we should and shouldn't do.
So, to summerize, the meaning of life isn't (neccessarily) improving your little corner of the world, or compiling the most stuff, or becoming the best tuba player ever to live. The purpose of life is to worship God, constantly strive to bring others around you to the joy you've found, and keep marchin' on towards that day when it will all pay off and you are rewarded with the ultimate joy and contentment of being in Heaven with the Lord. A relationship with Him is the only thing that will never leave you feeling burned out, or empty, or fruitless in life.
This is not intended in ANY way to judge the spiritual lives of the original poster or any of the replyers. It is simply meant to show anybody who reads the posts and feels as though something is missing, that it probably is.
I am sorry if I have offended anybody.
signed,
Sincere Christian