The Purpose Of Life

Some years ago in Northern India, there lived a missionary who served and ministered to the poor and outcasts of society. One morning, as the missionary was preparing for his morning meditations, he noticed a little boy, not older than 8, observing him. And so he began chatting with the boy..

(M: missionary, B: boy)
M: What are you doing?
B: I go to school
M: Why do you go to school?
B: To study
M: Why do you study?
B: To get smart
M: Why do you want to get smart?
B: So I can get a good job
M: Why do you want to get a good job?
B: So I can make lots of money
M: Why do you want to make lots of money?
B: So I can buy food
M: Why do you want to buy food?
B: So I can eat
M: Why do you want to eat?
B: To live
M: Why do you live?

At this point, the little boy thought for a minute, scratched his head, looked him in the face and asked back, “Sir, why do I live?” He paused for a moment in mid-thought, then gave his own sad answer, “To die!”

If we believe that heaven and hell exist, are we then living for eternity – for which Jesus gave His life? Or are we still living, as the little boy said, “to die”? A girlfriend of mine once said (half-jokingly), “If I know that the world is ending tomorrow, I’ll want to get married today”:) But is that really the thing on our minds when we see God?

We rather ignore or pretend away such questions because they make us feel uncomfortable. They just open the door for more questions, which we mostly don’t know the answers to. They rock our boat of safe religion. We can’t ask those questions and remain unchanged, or we’d dare not call ourselves Christians. They challenge us to give an answer for what we believe in. They push us to make a decision. But God does not just leave us to sort things out on our own. He gave us Jesus to teach us how to live. And more than that, He gives the Holy Spirit to those who will rise up and live for Him, to those who’d humble themselves to ask Him to come use them in whatever way possible. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to use you today?
(partly adapted from Revolution in World Missions)

posted by Joyce