I do not understand the reason for living

King Solomon had the same ennui while he was writing Ecclesiastes.

God has a plan for your life. Why don't you ask Him for a glimpse of it?

Ben Collyer said:

Good Afternoon from England

I feel very much lost, lost in my faith and life in general...spiritually depressed you could say?

I'm trying very hard to pinpoint the source of my sad disposition and I can only describe it as a general feeling of 'everything is pointless' and 'everything is meaningless'.

I have been pondering recently why God has ordained that we live out our short lives on earth

What is the purpose of the christian on earth?

on holiness: Why does God see fit to use our temporal lives to sanctify us? he could sanctify us in an instant by taking us to heaven and separating us from our sinful flesh. the work of making us holy on earth seems very much pointless...what difference will it make in heaven where there will be no sin? The work of making us holy could be completed in an instant by the process of dying..

on work: why does God see fit for us to work day jobs? how can God expect us to thank him for the gift of work when he has subjected all work to futility? its hardly something to be thankful for in this fallen world.

all in all im just struggling to see the point of life. help appreciated

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In answer to your questions ...

I think that we live to LOVE, as God's representatives on earth, while God partners with us ... to bring more sons and daughters into the kingdom.

On sanctification, I believe that it is, partially, the experience of living in this world which convinces us that God's way is best. Recall that Adam/Eve ultimately didn't believe that God's way was best on the garden. And though the scriptures don't say as much, I'd imagine that they understood the enormity of sin after their eldest son had killed his brother.

As for work, ... well ... that is part of the curse, although work provides us with our needs while living in this world (i.e. food, shelter, clothing, transportation, health-care, etc.) ... plus some of the the non-essentials (movies, entertainment, vacations, trips, etc.) which bless our lives here in many ways ...

I see a whole of I in your post friend. In reality we are here to glorify God not us, I understand that at times it can seen brutal, But God promises us that we can bear it and come out stronger in the end. Perhaps the walk you are on, isn't even about you at all? Maybe through your tribulation, Others will gain salvation, so even though it is tough, Hang in there and talk to God. He loves you and wants you to be happy.

Ben Collyer said:

Good Afternoon from England

I feel very much lost, lost in my faith and life in general...spiritually depressed you could say?

I'm trying very hard to pinpoint the source of my sad disposition and I can only describe it as a general feeling of 'everything is pointless' and 'everything is meaningless'.

I have been pondering recently why God has ordained that we live out our short lives on earth

What is the purpose of the christian on earth?

on holiness: Why does God see fit to use our temporal lives to sanctify us? he could sanctify us in an instant by taking us to heaven and separating us from our sinful flesh. the work of making us holy on earth seems very much pointless...what difference will it make in heaven where there will be no sin? The work of making us holy could be completed in an instant by the process of dying..

on work: why does God see fit for us to work day jobs? how can God expect us to thank him for the gift of work when he has subjected all work to futility? its hardly something to be thankful for in this fallen world.

all in all im just struggling to see the point of life. help appreciated

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How something is made impacts the end product. There is a difference between assembling a sculpture and carving it out of stone.

Did you ever notice that what soil you plant a seed in impacts what the plant is like? Did you ever notice how what plants a plant is surrounded by impacts the how the plant becomes? Remember, we are made of the earth and every reference to the kingdom refers to plants. Our lives are the soil in which our spiritual being is planted. That soil has a major impact on who we will be.

Ben Collyer said:

but how will my life here on earth impact my life in eternity? what difference does it make

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Your life is the soil. How you live it impacts the outcome of the plant, including whether or not it bares any fruit and what the nature of that fruit will be. If in heaven we have spiritual bodies to carry around our fruit trees, that means we will probably be able to share our unique fruits with others and partake of unique fruits. It's quite beautiful when you think about it.

Ben Collyer said:

Good Afternoon from England

I feel very much lost, lost in my faith and life in general...spiritually depressed you could say?

I'm trying very hard to pinpoint the source of my sad disposition and I can only describe it as a general feeling of 'everything is pointless' and 'everything is meaningless'.

I have been pondering recently why God has ordained that we live out our short lives on earth

What is the purpose of the christian on earth?

on holiness: Why does God see fit to use our temporal lives to sanctify us? he could sanctify us in an instant by taking us to heaven and separating us from our sinful flesh. the work of making us holy on earth seems very much pointless...what difference will it make in heaven where there will be no sin? The work of making us holy could be completed in an instant by the process of dying..

on work: why does God see fit for us to work day jobs? how can God expect us to thank him for the gift of work when he has subjected all work to futility? its hardly something to be thankful for in this fallen world.

all in all im just struggling to see the point of life. help appreciated

Click to expand...

I have seen technological improvements on the face of the earth. There have been miraculous cures of diseases that once plagued mankind. Much has been mechanized. An acre of farmland yields more wheat than before. Giant trawlers scoop fish out of the deep blue sea. They are pulling oil out of shale in the Permian Basin that was not known to be recoverable ten years ago. Solar energy panels are more cost efficient than before. There are Internet connections to give rise to the increase of knowledge. There are social networking sites for the lonely. All this developed over time. It did not come by God establishing it all in a day. Improvements require patience and time.

If God had a more perfect place ready, I think God would phase out this world.

Suffering in a bad job is a pain. Should you look for a better job, or endure at your present place in hopes of more training or a promotion?

Ben Collyer said:

all these earthly improvements are meaningless in the scope of eternity

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Ben, it seems like it might be helpful you to go out into nature a bit and take a moment to marvel at creation. I hear you about jobs being pointless. As technology takes over more and more, everything is turning into busy work. I'm not particularly fond of my current position.

It doesn't make me see the world as pointless though. It makes me long to be free of the world's ways, makes me feel like a hostage to money, and it makes me want to escape the shackles of mankind's system of doing things. However, the creation itself; the fact that i exist and am capable of awareness, emotions, thought, creativity, etc... This makes me value my existence.

It is good to be. Maybe you need to start focusing on different things. This world is fantastic.

There is one other aspect of this life btw. If we didn't experience the damage done by not following God's order in this temporary place, maybe we would have screwed up the permanent place.

Ben Collyer said:

Good Afternoon from England

I feel very much lost, lost in my faith and life in general...spiritually depressed you could say?

I'm trying very hard to pinpoint the source of my sad disposition and I can only describe it as a general feeling of 'everything is pointless' and 'everything is meaningless'.

I have been pondering recently why God has ordained that we live out our short lives on earth

What is the purpose of the christian on earth?

on holiness: Why does God see fit to use our temporal lives to sanctify us? he could sanctify us in an instant by taking us to heaven and separating us from our sinful flesh. the work of making us holy on earth seems very much pointless...what difference will it make in heaven where there will be no sin? The work of making us holy could be completed in an instant by the process of dying..

on work: why does God see fit for us to work day jobs? how can God expect us to thank him for the gift of work when he has subjected all work to futility? its hardly something to be thankful for in this fallen world.

all in all im just struggling to see the point of life. help appreciated

Click to expand...

The Lord has created a paradise that can even be enjoyed here on earth, if we learn to do things his way.

Ben Collyer said:

thats not an answer, thats an assertion with nothing to substantiate it, at least offer a scripture...

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From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

Ben Collyer said:

thats not an answer, thats an assertion with nothing to substantiate it, at least offer a scripture...

Click to expand...

dreadnought said:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt 4:17 RSV

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All you have to do is repent.

Ben Collyer said:

does anyone want to answer my question from a biblical point of view rather than offering platitudes?

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Philippians 4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Why are We Here?
Everyone looks for meaning in his or her life. It is not at all satisfying to think our lives have no more meaning than just being born, living a short while, then dying. There is nothing in the Bible that says, "The meaning of life is ...," but the Bible does tell God's purposes for us, and it is in fulfilling those purposes that we can find meaning and satisfaction in our lives.
Stewardship
God created mankind as a special species, above the other animals, and having at least some of the qualities of God, Himself. God appointed us as stewards of all His creation.
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (NAS, Genesis 1:26-28)

Related verses: The Ten Commandments, Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus explained that we should extend our love to all people of the world and consider them to be our neighbors.

Related verses: Leviticus 19:18, 19:34, Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 10:19, 11:1, Proverbs 17:17, Matthew 5:38-47, 7:12-14, 25:31-46, Luke 6:27-36, John 13:34-35, 15:12-14, Romans 8:28, 12:9-21, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Galatians 5:13-14, 5:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, James 2:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 3:14-17, 4:7-8, 4:16-21.

Finding True Meaning
People who learn to put their trust in God, instead of in worldly things, find a deep sense of peace and serenity that overshadows the evils, anxieties and disappointments of life and the fear of death. We live in the world but we must put our hopes and trust in God.
Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing his commands. (TLB, Psalms 112:1)

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV, Matthew 6:25-33)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV, Romans 15:13)

People who manage to break out of selfishness and focus on caring for the needs of others find a sense of purpose and fulfillment far beyond any possible worldly gratification. The only way to find true happiness is to make other people happy. Life's meaning is not found in getting more, but in giving more!

"Feed the hungry! Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day. And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you with all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. (TLB, Isaiah 58:10-11)

For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give -- large or small -- will be used to measure what is given back to you." (TLB, Luke 6:38)

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (NAS, Philippians 2:3-4)

Each of us has something to give. Some have wealth, some have talents, some have time, some have compassion, some have wisdom. Whatever gifts we have been given, large or small, we should share generously. When we do, we fulfill God's purposes and find true meaning and satisfaction in our own lives.

Related verses: Psalms 1:1-2, 5:11-12, 16:7-9, 37:4-6, 41:1-2, 63:1-8, 84:11-12, 112:1-9, 119:1-2, Proverbs 14:21, 19:17, 21:17, 22:9, 28:27, Isaiah 56:1-2, 58:6-9, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Matthew 5:3-11, 11:28-30, 13:44, 19:16-21, Mark 10:17-21, Luke 6:20-23, 12:16-21, 18:18-22, 19:8, 21:1-4, John 4:13-14, 12:25, 14:27, 15:10-11, 18:36-37, Acts 20:35, Romans 5:1-2, 12:2-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3-5, 5:22-26, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Timothy 6:9-10, James 1:12, 1:27, 1 Peter 1:3-9, 1 John 2:15-17.

Where Do We Look for Meaning?
Most people miss out because they never discover the simple truth: we can find peace and fulfillment only in trusting God and serving others. Ironically, we cannot find personal fulfillment by trying to please ourselves. Self-centered pursuits leave us unsatisfied and craving even more wealth, power, pleasure, beauty, status, etc. in a vain attempt to find security and fulfillment.
Many of us seek security and fulfillment in one or more of the worldly enticements in the list below. We live in the world, and many worldly activities are worthwhile, necessary and good in their proper place. However, they are not the things that give peace, satisfaction and meaning to our lives.

• Wealth. Getting rich, having a luxury car, expensive house, fine clothes and other possessions (Psalms 37:16, Proverbs 11:4, 11:28, 15:16-17, 23:4-5, Matthew 6:19-21, Luke 12:15-21, 18:24-25, 1 Timothy 6:17-19).
• Power. Having power over people by authority, manipulation or coercion. (Psalms 138:6, Proverbs 11:2, 18:12, 29:23, Matthew 20:25-27, 23:12, Luke 22:24-26, Romans 12:16, Galatians 5:26, Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 5:3).
• Vanity. Fame, beauty, popularity (Proverbs 19:6, 27:2, 31:30, Matthew 5:29-30, 6:25, Luke 6:26, Galatians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:4-7, 1 Timothy 2:9-10).
• Pleasure. Sports, dining, shopping, entertainment, sensuality (Proverbs 21:17, 23:20-21, Luke 8:11-15, 1 Timothy 5:6, 2 Timothy 2:22, 3:1-4, Titus 3:3).
• Career. Getting ahead, promotions, recognition and respect (Genesis 11:4-9, Exodus 23:12, Numbers 12:2-10, Matthew 16:24-26, Mark 10:35-38, Luke 9:46-48, 11:43-44).
• Elitism. Nationalism, patriotism; pride in social status, race, gender, ethnic origin or religious affiliation (Exodus 12:49, Psalms 33:13-15, Proverbs 22:2, Malachi 2:10, Matthew 20:25-26, 23:11-12, Luke 10:25-37, Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:8-11, 12:16, 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 1:10-15, Galatians 2:6, 3:28-29, 1 Peter 1:17-18).
• Knowledge. Education, science, philosophy, research (Proverbs 3:7, 16:25, 21:30, Isaiah 5:21, 47:10-11, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Matthew 7:24, 11:25, 1 Corinthians 3:18-20, Colossians 2:8, 1 Timothy 6:20-21).
• Sin. Alcohol and drug abuse, crime, sexual immorality, gossip, slander, greed, arrogance, abuse of others. (Exodus 20:1-17, Proverbs 11:13, 20:1, 20:19, Matthew 15:17-19, Mark 7:21-23, Romans 1:28-32, 13:13-14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4:31, 5:5, Colossians 3:5).

Source: www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_MeaningLife.htm

Sometimes I feel useless too. He knows why you are here and he knows more about you than you do, try focusing on God and his holiness, and pray for his holy spirit to come upon you and give you understanding and some peace in your heart, and comfort. And sometimes, it does take awhile to get answers to your questions about life, be we have to be patient and have faith in him, because he is faithful. He does hear our prayers and our cries. In my experience, I believe that when life seems to dull and I feel sad and hopeless and like I just don't get it, I believe he wants me to reach deeper in my heart and cry out to him. Like, He is asking for more faith and reliance on him, He is wanting me to reach a little deeper in my heart and pull out more for him. I hope that this helps you in some way. And try praying to him for his holy spirit

Ben Collyer said:

Good Afternoon from England

I feel very much lost, lost in my faith and life in general...spiritually depressed you could say?

I'm trying very hard to pinpoint the source of my sad disposition and I can only describe it as a general feeling of 'everything is pointless' and 'everything is meaningless'.

I have been pondering recently why God has ordained that we live out our short lives on earth

What is the purpose of the christian on earth?

on holiness: Why does God see fit to use our temporal lives to sanctify us? he could sanctify us in an instant by taking us to heaven and separating us from our sinful flesh. the work of making us holy on earth seems very much pointless...what difference will it make in heaven where there will be no sin? The work of making us holy could be completed in an instant by the process of dying..

on work: why does God see fit for us to work day jobs? how can God expect us to thank him for the gift of work when he has subjected all work to futility? its hardly something to be thankful for in this fallen world.

all in all im just struggling to see the point of life. help appreciated

Click to expand...

In your work: do you hear the parable of the talents? Are you working as the world does, in order to survive from worldly jobs? God gave you a mission for your life. and Believe me, if you do not live with Jesus all day in your thoughts, life is sad.