You were made for more!

Has anyone ever wondered why when a person comes to faith in Christ, believing unto salvation that they just don’t get zapped up into heaven? I often think of the TV show Star Trek and the famous phrase spoken by James T. Kirk: “beam me, Scotty”. Imagine if it were this way. It would make our personal lives so much easier, no struggles, no pain, no social unrest, just us in the presence of the Lord.

But alas that is not God’s plan at all.

For many in the world today they have found themselves wondering. What is the point? Who am I? Why am I here? Does my life Matter Throughout the ages, these questions, or those like them have perplexed the generations.

Psychologist Viktor Frankl once had this to say about the people of his generation: “Ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for”.  In a 1999 USA Today poll posed this question: “What would you ask God if you could get a direct and immediate answer?” By far the number one response was “Why am I here?”

There are really three ways to get these questions answered:

One could turn to atheism to get their answer. The atheistic explanation of the world is that there is no higher reason we’re here. The universe and everything in it—us included—happened purely by accident. You are an accident, Your parents are an accident or to state it better you are here by chance, you were born to the parents you have by mere chance, you have the job or career that you have by chance. You have no intrinsic value or worth, you merely exist.

Or one could turn to Philosophy, and more specifically the philosophy of existentialism which is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the nature of existence by emphasizing the experience of the human subject— the acting, feeling, and the living of the individual. You could try to find meaning and value in your life by chasing after experiences, gaining successes, money, materialistic items, keeping up with the Joneses… or even trying to one-up the Joneses.

Or you can look to Christian Theism – The belief that the answers to these important questions lie in the fact that there is a creator and since there is a creator He is the one who provides the answers.

Here is the most interesting part of this. There may be three ways to chase after an answer to these questions: Who am I, Why am I here, Does my life matter, there is yet still only one right answer. Both of the others leave you scraping at life to create your own value and meaning. Only one speaks from beginning to end that you have inherent, intrinsic value.

It starts in The Bible with the very first line: In the Beginning God (Genesis 1:1)

God says in Genesis 1:26-27  that we were made in the very image and likeness of God. In Latin we call this the “Imago Dei” That God in his immensity chose to reflect upon the earth His nature, His character and His likeness through humanity. Each unique in their creation is destined to reveal a portion of Himself through each unique person.

You are HERE FOR A REASON.

You HAVE INHERENT VALUE.

You HAVE WORTH.

YOU HAVE A PURPOSE.

Psalm 33:15 “He (God) fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.” God has fashioned each of your hearts individually for His purposes. The word considers here is oft looked at in a past tense fashion, meaning after you have done something God looks upon it and considers the outcome of it. What if its actually not past tense at all? What if it is rather future tense in that God has fashioned your heart individually and he considers the destiny He has created you for? Like a doting father dreams of the future success their child will have; that’s how God looks at YOU. This view is more consistent with Scripture, such as Psalm 139:14-16 “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.