Purpose. Such a deep word. Eternity. Too broad for us to understand fully, and yet it is something we can grasp. Fellowship. We all long for it. Put the three together… The only thing that comes to mind is a question. How is it possible?
Don’t you want more? Don’t we all wish or long for something greater? If you’ve coveted anything at all you understand what it means to want something greater because you’ve deemed that something is greater than the something you possess. The undeniable fact of bad things and bad thoughts and bad actions has been birthed into the world. We have a deep desire to try and understand why bad things happen at all. We even question whether or not God loves us when things go wrong. And it’s evidence that even we know that there shouldn’t be an existence of a bad thing. There must have been some original design, a greater purpose than what we see or experience.
The truth is that no one can deny that there is a wrong way of living. Oh sure people will try and make it relative. Until you try take their wallet when you see that there’s nothing wrong with it. So what they mean is that it’s not wrong until it affects them, then it’s wrong. Thus, they can’t deny that some things are wrong. There is a wrong way of living. And if there’s a wrong way of living, then there must be a right way too.
People will say to seize the day…eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. However, why do we experience a mid-life crisis? Why is there depression that stems from lack of purpose in life? Isn’t it because we thought there’d be more purpose to what we’ve been doing all these years? Isn’t it because we struggle with our purpose sometimes? We put so much effort into what we do. We long to leave a legacy that will be remembered for years to come. We don’t want to be remembered badly. We want a good life, one that echoes through eternity and is written in history books. We aspire to be something great. But every moment seems to pass only for the next moment that will pass. There’s no satisfaction, no deep joy, but just a longing…for something greater.
Relationships. We want it. We need it. It almost seems like we were meant to be in relationship. Life sucks without relationship. No one wants to be alone. There are so many songs written about being alone that it seems they’re all saying the same thing with a new tune. So we try and forget. We find someTHING that makes us feel like we’re not alone. But the advice that it gives doesn’t help our lives. It only tends to hurt us more.
Is focus the answer? If we just focus more… If we just spend a little more time working on it… Will a relationship I forge help? After all, if life is going to end up like this, I need to make sure that everyone thinks I’m something else. Put on a facade…? Living a lie sucks too.
I think I’ve found something greater. As a matter of fact, I’ve found a way to live that will echo for eternity. I’ve found a purpose and an answer to the “how” of all these desires we struggle with. I’ve found joy and fellowship. I’ve found a relationship because I’ve been found.
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1 John 1:1-4 (NASB)
The answer to the “how” is Jesus. His life demonstrated what will echo for eternity. In fact, John said that He is eternity itself. Jesus’ name is Eternity. He is the Life. His name is Life. THE Life we’ve been searching for all our lives. John saw it. He watched Eternity live. He saw what it meant to really live.
What’s messed up this world is sin. To sin means to live the wrong way. We’ve all lived the wrong way, even if it’s only been hatred or a little lie to get out of trouble. And we can all admit that we’re completely surrounded by people who live the wrong way. The only fix is Jesus. Your opinion isn’t going to help. You may think you have the answer, but the answer is only in Jesus. Living the wrong way means that people aren’t living the right way, the eternal way. They don’t have that life. And we don’t have that life outside of Jesus.
So what does it look like, to live the right way? We’ve got to dive in and see. We need to read about it. We’re wired for an eternal way of living. History books are meant to be written about out eternity life.
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