What is the meaning of your life?

[3sigma]

I'm glad you asked.

However, you haven’t answered my question. Could you please tell me what you mean by ‘serving’ your God? How do you serve your God and how does that provide a reason to continue living? I’m interested because I serve no God, yet I have plenty of reasons to continue living. I’m wondering why you seem to need to serve a God to provide you with a reason to live.

 

[aiki]

Don’t any of you consider the love of your family and friends, the pursuit of your interests, learning about the natural world or a host of other things to be reasons to continue living?

I said my basic reason for living was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This isn't my only reason for living, however.

The reasons for living that you've mentioned above don't change the fact that, if you take a naturalistic viewpoint, you are merely a random accident. No matter what meaning you eke out of your circumstances, you remain unintended and thus without intrinsic value. You are a thing that has for no reason appeared and will in a short time disappear. This is all a worldview without God ultimately offers.

Would you really have no reason at all for living if you lost your belief in your God? I have no belief in any gods, yet I have plenty of reasons to want to continue living.

Well, without a belief in God what do your reasons for living matter? The question "Why am I here?" is answered by an atheist with "I don't know," or "There is no reason." This doesn't change by finding "reasons for living" of the sort you've offered. Such reasons don't fundamentally alter the basic fact that, from an atheistic viewpoint, you are the consequence of random chance.

I find it difficult to understand how Christians can be so dependent on a single belief.

Of course you do. Until you have a personal encounter with God, it will continue to be a mystery.

Peace.

 

[chosenpath]

However, you haven’t answered my question. Could you please tell me what you mean by ‘serving’ your God? How do you serve your God and how does that provide a reason to continue living? I’m interested because I serve no God, yet I have plenty of reasons to continue living. I’m wondering why you seem to need to serve a God to provide you with a reason to live.

Simple to obtain eternal everlasting life.

John 5:24
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Philippians 3:14-15
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

 

[GoodNewsJim]

Are you saying that your only reason to continue living is so that you can proselytise?

Not the only reason, but it is the biggest mission I have in life. It is sad that so many people don't realize God is real.
God performed a miracle for me personally to let me know he is real.
There is scripture that says people who have been given much are expected of much. There is scripture that condemns people for receiving miracles and still not turning from their sins when there are others who turned from their sins without even seeing a miracle.

I wouldn't be a very good servant if I didn't do anything. It takes advanced faith to see Earth as a place where you're supposed to help others even if you don't personally benefit immediately. It takes advanced faith to know that your rewards for doing good are in Heaven, and you won't see them until after you die or Jesus returns. Without this advanced faith or even a belief in God, a lifetime of being a servant for God is hard for unbelievers to understand. And the sad truth is that some people come to God because they don't want to be a "boring Christian".


If I was a wealthy man, I'd be trying to feed the world's poor because there is huge reward in that. As it is, I'm just to let people know God is real.

 

[3sigma]

The reasons for living that you've mentioned above don't change the fact that, if you take a naturalistic viewpoint, you are merely a random accident.

Really? That’s interesting. As far as I had been told, my parents actually planned to have me.

No matter what meaning you eke out of your circumstances, you remain unintended and thus without intrinsic value.

So you think that if your God doesn’t exist then you would have no value to your family or friends? Are you saying that they would then consider you to be a worthless human being?

Well, without a belief in God what do your reasons for living matter? The question "Why am I here?" is answered by an atheist with "I don't know," or "There is no reason." This doesn't change by finding "reasons for living" of the sort you've offered. Such reasons don't fundamentally alter the basic fact that, from an atheistic viewpoint, you are the consequence of random chance.

My reasons for living matter to me because they provide my life with interest and enjoyment. I don’t need to believe in any gods for that to be the case. Why do you need to believe that there must be some greater reason for your existence? Why can’t you simply rejoice in the fact that you do exist and enjoy that fleeting existence while you can?

 

[3sigma]

Simple to obtain eternal everlasting life.

You seem to be fearful that some day you will die. Death is inevitable. There is no point in worrying about it because it happens to everyone sooner or later. However, this still hasn’t answered my question. Could you please tell me what you mean by ‘serving’ your God? How do you serve your God?

 

[3sigma]

It takes advanced faith to see Earth as a place where you're supposed to help others even if you don't personally benefit immediately. It takes advanced faith to know that your rewards for doing good are in Heaven, and you won't see them until after you die or Jesus returns.

Really? How do you explain the fact that atheists perform works of charity and they do so without any expectation of personal benefit or reward at all? Are you saying that only a person of advanced faith would expect a reward for helping others?

 

[chosenpath]

By answering your questions and sharing his word with you.


I am not afraid of death because I have faith and hope in the provider of all things Jehovah.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

 

[ephraimanesti]

Okay, I see it now. From your point of view, you wouldn’t love your family any less because you would be loving them as much as you could. However, from your family’s point of view, they would be receiving less love from you because the maximum you could give would be greatly diminished.

Yes.

From your posts so far, you appear to be claiming that you love your family more than atheists could love their families. Is that really what you are claiming?

i don't know that i would think of it--or put it--quite that way, but i guess the answer would be yes. A Christian, through the auspices of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can provide a QUALITY of Love--AGAPE--which, for obvious reasons, it not available to atheists, given that it is one of the fruits of the Spirit--"But the fruit of the Spirit is agape love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."(Gal 5:22, 23).


A BROTHER/FRIEND/SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[3sigma]

By answering your questions and sharing his word with you.

Is that the only purpose in your life? Aren’t the love of your family and friends and pursuing your interests also reasons to continue living?

I am not afraid of death because I have faith and hope in the provider of all things Jehovah.

Then why have you sought to convince yourself that you will never really die when there is no credible evidence to suggest that such an implausible conclusion is true?

 

[3sigma]

A Christian, through the auspices of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can provide a QUALITY of Love--AGAPE--which, for obvious reasons, it not available to atheists…

So I’m guessing that you consider Christians superior to atheists in this regard? However, I feel compelled to point out that this appears to be merely what you believe. Is there any credible evidence to suggest that it is true?

 

[LogosRhema]

I’ve often heard Christians make statements such as, “Without God, my life would have no meaning” or “God gives my life purpose”. This is something I literally find difficult to understand about Christianity. What do Christians mean by such statements? What is the meaning of your life? What is this purpose to your life that your God provides?

Good question, I like it. Btw hello Names LogosRhema, nice to meet ya!

I cannot tell you with full knowledge my purpose or anyone elses here on Earth I can tell you the basics that I know now.

General purpose:
Reconciliation with my Creator, which I am enabled to boldly go before Him through Christ. A personal relationship has been established. I serve under the Most High God.

After reconciliation, is obedience. Many try to put this in regards to a list of rules of to dos and donts (I call it religion), but I cannot make any changes for myself. God changes me from the inside out. This is not a work of my own, the only thing I do is maintain the relationship and obey, with God being my strength to do as such.

Passed this my purpose is to show people salvation. Salvation from the system of the World. Let my life be an example and my witness. God leads those who are ready to me, usually. But basically I let the Love God showed me shine, which is another act of obedience. Why hide the Truth?

Furthering from this, enjoy life. Provided my life style does not conflict with the Holy Spirit... Which is actually not bad at all. Most life styles that are considered "fun" bring more harm than good, but from what I'm finding when you put aside these bias', and I simply obey and avoid these life styles... Life is easier and when its easier... The fun times spent are more fulfilling! Jesus came so that we may have life and life more abundant. Its funny to see Christians see this as some parable for money. I don't see it that way.

God created us to be fruitful and prosper, take care of the planet, and simply love life. Embracing what God does for us is the best thing we can do for Him, everything else is taken care of. So what worries are there?

Purpose of life summed up? To enjoy it through Him.

 

[LogosRhema]

So I’m guessing that you consider Christians superior to atheists in this regard? However, I feel compelled to point out that this appears to be merely what you believe. Is there any credible evidence to suggest that it is true?

AGAPE love is still shown and available to Atheist my friend. Just because a child doesn't obey the father, doesn't mean the father doesn't love his son. I apologize for the blind comment made by him.

I chuckle, where is love among Christians eh? Again, AGAPE love applies to everyone, saved and unsaved.

 

[3sigma]

Reconciliation with my Creator, which I am enabled to boldly go before Him through Christ.
…
After reconciliation, is obedience.
…
Passed this my purpose is to show people salvation.
…
Furthering from this, enjoy life.
…
Purpose of life summed up? To enjoy it through Him.

I guess what I’ve been trying to determine is what Christians mean when they say that their God gives their life meaning or purpose and whether, as an atheist, I am missing anything by not believing in the Christian God. It appears from the responses so far that Christians have many of the same reasons for living as atheists—love for family and friends, pursuing one’s interests, etc.—and the others peculiar to their faith are unappealing and unwarranted (subservience, obedience, proselytisation, unwarranted feelings of superiority, etc.). I don’t see any need to pander to some god to enjoy my life and it appears that doing so would actually cause me to enjoy life less.

 

[LogosRhema]

I guess what I’ve been trying to determine is what Christians mean when they say that their God gives their life meaning or purpose and whether, as an atheist, I am missing anything by not believing in the Christian God. It appears from the responses so far that Christians have many of the same reasons for living as atheists—love for family and friends, pursuing one’s interests, etc.—and the others peculiar to their faith are unappealing and unwarranted (subservience, obedience, proselytisation, unwarranted feelings of superiority, etc.). I don’t see any need to pander to some god to enjoy my life and it appears that doing so would actually cause me to enjoy life less.

I think you are mistaken, I don't just pander to Him. He came to me first and I simply responded as such.

To liken it to more on an understandable level. You ever have that one friend that was SO MUCH fun? I mean you could go to a party and have fun without that friend, but when that friend was at the party with you... things were FUN, like undeniably better than it would be by yourself.

In sort of the same way, He enables my life in this way. Although I would not want to live without Him, but its easy to say lets drink and be merry, what need is there for a god, tomorrow we're gonna croak!

Notice the Bible says Jesus came so that we might have life more abundant. Its not that our lives were empty of fun before He came, but after He came our lives were more abundant than before. More fulfilling and just dramatically better.

Am I making sense here? This is all sounding good to me, but what are you making of it?

 

[ephraimanesti]

So I’m guessing that you consider Christians superior to atheists in this regard? However, I feel compelled to point out that this appears to be merely what you believe. Is there any credible evidence to suggest that it is true?

It is not a question of being "superior". i do not consider myself--or Christians in general--"superior" to anyone in any way. i am not sure why you read that into what has been said. The fact that God had mercy on me--as He would on you or anyone else who asked for It--is about God's greatness, not mine. i have to consider you bringing the concept of "superiority" up as an intentional straw dog, and i am curious why it was resorted to.

Anyway, this has been going on for 2000 years in the lives of millions. That, to me, is about as credible evidence as one could wish for. The fact that i "followed directions", Scripturally speaking, and received the promised results in my life and my relationships means anyone at all can do it--no exceptions. The best evidence, after all, is ones' own experience. Check it out.

A BROTHER/FRIEND/SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[ephraimanesti]

AGAPE love is still shown and available to Atheist my friend. Just because a child doesn't obey the father, doesn't mean the father doesn't love his son. I apologize for the blind comment made by him.

What you state is most true--praise God! However, my point was that although God Loves ALL His children--believers and non-believers--equally and totally, that Love is not experiencable (if that is a word) to non-believers given the fact that a person cannot experience what they don't believe in and refuse to receive. For example, in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father never stopped Loving His younger son when he left home. However, the son could not EXPERIENCE that Love until he turned around and returned home to his father's arms.

My comment was blind, just possibly poorly worded. Sorry for any mis-impressions!

A BROTHER/FRIEND/SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[GoodNewsJim]

Really? How do you explain the fact that atheists perform works of charity and they do so without any expectation of personal benefit or reward at all?

I didn't mention atheists at all. Those who are spiritually blind may end up doing pretty much anything. An atheist giving to charity does not surprise me at all.

Are you saying that only a person of advanced faith would expect a reward for helping others?

I'm saying that it takes advanced faith to understand the concept of "sacrificial" giving.

If you have a only a little bit of faith in Jesus, you may understand that you'll be rewarded in Heaven for the good you do on Earth, but you won't feel driven to work hard just to donate to the poor. A man of the world likes to not give his money away or he'll have nothing to support his own family. A man with weak faith cannot get over his own desire for money. This should be easy to understand.

 

[aiki]

Originally Posted by aiki

The reasons for living that you've mentioned above don't change the fact that, if you take a naturalistic viewpoint, you are merely a random accident.
​

Really? That’s interesting. As far as I had been told, my parents actually planned to have me.

Oh, I see, you derive your purpose in being from your parents. You exist merely because they decided they wanted a child. I'm curious: Did they choose who and what you are? I doubt it. Over that they had little, if any, control. All they wanted initially was a child, not you in particular. In the end, they got you, but it could just as easily have been someone else. If you truly take an atheistic view, random chance led a single one of the millions of your father's sperm to your mother's egg and, voila, here you are. Your parents did not intend to have you. You, according to naturalistic theory, just happened for no good reason.

No matter what meaning you eke out of your circumstances, you remain unintended and thus without intrinsic value.
So you think that if your God doesn’t exist then you would have no value to your family or friends? Are you saying that they would then consider you to be a worthless human being?

No, I said "no intrinsic value." If you have value because you are valued by your family and friends, what value has a person who has neither? Such an externally asserted value is subject to fluctuation - as the Jews found out during the Second World War. Hitler thought very highly of the naturalistic worldview. It is no surprise then that he placed no intrinsic value in the Jewish people, or whoever he deemed to be of "lesser" value.

If you are truly just the result of random chance, then you can ultimately claim no more value for yourself than a rock, or an ant. They have come about through the very same act of chance as you and in this respect are your equal (tho', of course, they aren't as aware of this fact as you and I).

Well, without a belief in God what do your reasons for living matter? The question "Why am I here?" is answered by an atheist with "I don't know," or "There is no reason." This doesn't change by finding "reasons for living" of the sort you've offered. Such reasons don't fundamentally alter the basic fact that, from an atheistic viewpoint, you are the consequence of random chance.
​

My reasons for living matter to me because they provide my life with interest and enjoyment. I don’t need to believe in any gods for that to be the case. Why do you need to believe that there must be some greater reason for your existence? Why can’t you simply rejoice in the fact that you do exist and enjoy that fleeting existence while you can?

Because I am not content to live under the belief that I am merely an accident. Moreover, I find irresistible evidence that God exists.

What, may I ask, do you do if and when your reasons for living cease to interest you and cause you enjoyment? Do you just swap them out for another set? If you do, what would that suggest to you about the quality and nature of those reasons?

What about the person who has no access to those things you enjoy and that interest you? What does your atheistic viewpoint offer to someone who is born into destitution, disease and death? How do they find reasons for living in atheism? What comfort can you give to those whose lives are, from birth to death, nothing but sickness, and pain, and poverty? Your atheism, it would seem, loses its convenience in less affluent and easy circumstances.

Peace.

 

[ephraimanesti]

However, you haven’t answered my question. Could you please tell me what you mean by ‘serving’ your God? How do you serve your God and how does that provide a reason to continue living? I’m interested because I serve no God, yet I have plenty of reasons to continue living. I’m wondering why you seem to need to serve a God to provide you with a reason to live.

"Coincidentally" i just came across the following this evening which i think is most germane to dealing with your question:

"God doesn't need us to serve Him as a means to attain His love or affection. He wants us to serve Him out of the Love and affection He already holds for us in His Heart. If you have never tasted that reality, you cannot imagine the freedom that lies ahead of you. My Father brought me to the place where I realized that even if I never preached another sermon, never counseled another person, never led someone to Christ again, He would still delight in me as His child.

"That doesn't mean He approves of everything I do, but He has freed me to know that He Loves me--absolutely and completely. I had served God for thirty-four years, always with an undercurrent of trying to earn His favor. It has only been in the last twelve that I've learned to live in that favor, and I'm never going back.

"That's when it became clear. It is not the fear of losing God's favor that takes us to the depth of fellowship with Him and transforms our lives with His holiness. It is our certainty of knowing His unrelenting love for us, even in the midst of our weakness and failure, that leads us to the fullness of His Life. I now know that the key to God's favor doesn't rest on what I give Him but on what He already has given me.

"He delights in you, too. Can you see Him that way, exalting and dancing with joy over you?

" 'THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU. . . .
HE WILL TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN YOU,
HE WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE,
HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING.' "
(Zephaniah 3:17)

from "HE LOVES ME!" by Wayne Jacobsen​

Hope this adds a little clarification to the "Meaning Of Life" question.

A BROTHER/FRIEND/SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim