The Big Questions!
Welcome to Real Life. The only stupid question is the one we fail to ask.
I was sixteen and sitting in a social studies class when I first heard these questions. A fellow student posed them to our teacher. After a long pause, she replied, “I don’t know. These are the big questions of life. Everyone is searching for the answers. You must find them on your own.”
I still remember how her answer (or lack thereof) left me feeling empty and dissatisfied. What is the meaning of life? If my older and wiser teacher had no answers, how could I find them?
How would you answer these questions? It’s interesting. Many of us will live our entire lives—distracted by the busyness of daily routines and responsibilities—and never stop to ponder the reason for our existence.
Believe it or not, within a year of sitting in that social studies class, I found the answers. I was invited to a church. For the first time, I heard the Good News that God sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to save us. I knelt at an altar and placed my faith in Christ. God radically changed the trajectory of my life. As I pursued a deeper relationship with God, I found the answers to life’s big questions.
Who am I?
You and I were created in the image of God. Just as we bear the likeness of our earthly fathers, we bear the likeness of our Heavenly Father. God is eternal. You and I have an eternal soul. God placed within our souls this longing for something more, for significance, for the meaning of life.
Why am I here?
The human race did not appear by accident or evolutionary chance. Whether or not you believe we are the product of evolution, what (or who) started the evolutionary process? Someone pulled the trigger on the big bang. The building block elements of this universe did not magically appear out of nothing. It was God who created and designed our incredibly complex and awe-inspiring universe.
My birth was not a mistake or accident—and neither was yours. God formed us in our mothers’ wombs. Our human bodies are masterpieces designed by God (Ephesians 3:10).
What is life for?
The Westminster Catechism states: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.[2] God wants us to enjoy him! In order to enjoy someone, we must get to know them. God revealed himself to us though his book, the Bible. Especially by reading the four Gospels, we can learn more about God through learning more about his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to make the Father known to us. He told his disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”[3]
How can you and I glorify God? The more we learn about our good and beautiful God, the more we will love him and want to be like him. The more our lives reflect God’s character, the more God will be glorified in us. For example, God is love.[4] He is the source of love. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”[5] As Christians, when our actions clearly reflect God’s love, he is glorified in us.
What is beyond this life?
Each one of us will die. These bodies were not designed to live forever. Death is the end of our physical body on this earth. This body, however, is simply a tent that houses our souls. Your soul and my soul will never die. Our souls (which are the essence of our being) will continue to exist eternally either in heaven or in hell. When we die, each of us will stand before God and give an account for the deeds we’ve committed while living on the earth.[6] All of us have sinned. Not one of us can be perfectly holy and good enough to deserve a place in heaven. This is why Jesus (God in flesh) came down from heaven and shed his blood on the cross. He paid for our sins with his blood.[7] When we place our faith in Christ and his sacrifice for us, he will save us.[8] On the other side of death’s door, Jesus will be waiting to welcome us home![9]
Of course, there is plenty more to say. But these are my concise answers to life’s big questions. Whether or not we agree, I would love to have a conversation with you about it. And if you haven’t done so, I encourage you. Take some time to ponder these questions. Jesus left heaven and walked this earth to provide the answers. And that’s why, two thousand years later, we’re still speaking his name. The answers to life’s big questions are found in Jesus Christ!
Dear Father God,
Speak to the hearts of those reading this,
Convince them you are alive and real.
Give them the desire to learn more about you and come to know you,
By placing their faith in your Son Jesus Christ.
If they already know you, I pray they will desire to know you more!
As Christians, may our lives reflect the reality of your existence
And the depth of your love,
In Jesus’ name we live and pray. Amen.
Take it further…
Who am I?
Why am I here?
What is life for?
What is beyond this life?
I still remember how her answer (or lack thereof) left me feeling empty and dissatisfied. What is the meaning of life? If my older and wiser teacher had no answers, how could I find them?
How would you answer these questions? It’s interesting. Many of us will live our entire lives—distracted by the busyness of daily routines and responsibilities—and never stop to ponder the reason for our existence.
Believe it or not, within a year of sitting in that social studies class, I found the answers. I was invited to a church. For the first time, I heard the Good News that God sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to save us. I knelt at an altar and placed my faith in Christ. God radically changed the trajectory of my life. As I pursued a deeper relationship with God, I found the answers to life’s big questions.
Who am I?
You and I were created in the image of God. Just as we bear the likeness of our earthly fathers, we bear the likeness of our Heavenly Father. God is eternal. You and I have an eternal soul. God placed within our souls this longing for something more, for significance, for the meaning of life.
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man
which cannot be satisfied by any created thing
but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”
–Blaise Pascal (read original wording in footnote)[1]
Why am I here?
The human race did not appear by accident or evolutionary chance. Whether or not you believe we are the product of evolution, what (or who) started the evolutionary process? Someone pulled the trigger on the big bang. The building block elements of this universe did not magically appear out of nothing. It was God who created and designed our incredibly complex and awe-inspiring universe.
My birth was not a mistake or accident—and neither was yours. God formed us in our mothers’ wombs. Our human bodies are masterpieces designed by God (Ephesians 3:10).
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
(Psalm 139:13-16)
What is life for?
The Westminster Catechism states: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.[2] God wants us to enjoy him! In order to enjoy someone, we must get to know them. God revealed himself to us though his book, the Bible. Especially by reading the four Gospels, we can learn more about God through learning more about his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to make the Father known to us. He told his disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”[3]
“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son,
who is himself God
and is in closest relationship with the Father,
has made him known.”
(John 1:18)
How can you and I glorify God? The more we learn about our good and beautiful God, the more we will love him and want to be like him. The more our lives reflect God’s character, the more God will be glorified in us. For example, God is love.[4] He is the source of love. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”[5] As Christians, when our actions clearly reflect God’s love, he is glorified in us.
What is beyond this life?
Each one of us will die. These bodies were not designed to live forever. Death is the end of our physical body on this earth. This body, however, is simply a tent that houses our souls. Your soul and my soul will never die. Our souls (which are the essence of our being) will continue to exist eternally either in heaven or in hell. When we die, each of us will stand before God and give an account for the deeds we’ve committed while living on the earth.[6] All of us have sinned. Not one of us can be perfectly holy and good enough to deserve a place in heaven. This is why Jesus (God in flesh) came down from heaven and shed his blood on the cross. He paid for our sins with his blood.[7] When we place our faith in Christ and his sacrifice for us, he will save us.[8] On the other side of death’s door, Jesus will be waiting to welcome us home![9]
“Look, I (Jesus) am coming soon!
My reward is with me, and I will give to each person
according to what they have done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.”
(Revelation 22:12-13)
Of course, there is plenty more to say. But these are my concise answers to life’s big questions. Whether or not we agree, I would love to have a conversation with you about it. And if you haven’t done so, I encourage you. Take some time to ponder these questions. Jesus left heaven and walked this earth to provide the answers. And that’s why, two thousand years later, we’re still speaking his name. The answers to life’s big questions are found in Jesus Christ!
Dear Father God,
Speak to the hearts of those reading this,
Convince them you are alive and real.
Give them the desire to learn more about you and come to know you,
By placing their faith in your Son Jesus Christ.
If they already know you, I pray they will desire to know you more!
As Christians, may our lives reflect the reality of your existence
And the depth of your love,
In Jesus’ name we live and pray. Amen.
Take it further…
- Alpha Class is a multi-week course that creates a space where people come to discuss life’s big questions. Find a class near you: Alpha USA.
- To chat with someone about getting to know Jesus, go to Chat About Jesus or call 888-Need-Him (888-633-3446). If you know me personally, feel free to reach out and contact me. I would love to have this conversation with you.
- What is beyond this life? Read Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You by John Burke.
Image of Student by Canva
[1] “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”
–Original Quote by Blaise Pascal, Pensées (emphasis mine)
[2] 1647; 1 Corinthians 10:31, Psalm 73:24-26, John 17:22,24; https://www.cambridgepres.org.uk/resources/app/type/westminster-shorter-catechism/resource/405/title/q1
[3] John 14:9
[4] 1 John 4:8, 16
[5] John 13:35
[6] 2 Corinthians 5:10,12; Revelation 22:12
[7] 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3
[8] Romans 10:9
[9] John 14:1-3
[1] “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”
–Original Quote by Blaise Pascal, Pensées (emphasis mine)
[2] 1647; 1 Corinthians 10:31, Psalm 73:24-26, John 17:22,24; https://www.cambridgepres.org.uk/resources/app/type/westminster-shorter-catechism/resource/405/title/q1
[3] John 14:9
[4] 1 John 4:8, 16
[5] John 13:35
[6] 2 Corinthians 5:10,12; Revelation 22:12
[7] 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3
[8] Romans 10:9
[9] John 14:1-3
Love love this. My biggest life questions have always been "what is my purpose here?"
ReplyDeleteYes! That's such an important question. I love how the Westminster Catechism keeps it simple: to glorify God and enjoy him forever! But walking out his specific purposes for you and me definitely takes some time and effort in seeking God. The strengths and gifts he's given us, and what we are passionate about are definitely good clues! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteAWESOME--thanks for reminding us--in my busy-ness--often to forget that I am to glorify GOD not ME. May Jesus increase and be magnified in our lives!
ReplyDeleteYes! And did I enjoy God today? I love it that he wants us to enjoy our relationship with him! Thanks for commenting, my friend!
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