What's the meaning of life?

[ghoti]

I know this is such a redundant and vain question since I'm never satisfied with the answer, but what IS the meaning of life? In other words, if I were to ask why should I live, how would you respond? I suppose the Christian answer would be something along the lines of to save souls and to worship God. But that doesn't satisfy me. What makes life better than nonexistance? What purpose is there?  Or is there none?

 

[ZiSunka]

Life is a courtship with God. It is the time during which you decide whether or not you are going to be His bride. You learn about His character, fall in love with Him, respond to His love for you, pledge yourself to Him, commit yourself to be faithful during the courtship, experience failure at that, find His awesome forgiveness, love Him more, learn more about His character, seek to please Him like you seek to please those you love, etc.

The actual wedding comes later.

By the way, your name doesn't happen to be pronounced "fish" does it?

 

[Hanani]

i bet it is fish

anyways the meaning of life when you ask that i take that as asking why is there life and the answer for that is simple God wanted someone to share his love with

 

[Blessed-one]

it's to have God in your life, and share this love and joy with others. This's an incredible process, you'll be surprised by how easy and simple it is once you enter into a relationship with God, what it means to have real joy and peace, what it's like when you share it with others.

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

I know the answer, I know the answer! Do you really want to know it as well? Read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Awesome book that will answer your questions.

 

[ghoti]

Yes, it's "fish."

That too sounds vain. You always fail.

Joy is fleeting. Real love brings sorrow and pain.

 

[ZiSunka]

CS Lewis said, "to love at all is to experience pain."

Failure is part of every relationship you will ever be in. And part of every successful relationship is forgiveness.

Though we fail Him and experience pain because of it, He forgives us and we experience love because of it. It's the amazing part of the courtship. No matter how, why or how often we fail, He is eager to forgive us and restore the relationship.

 

[Mr.Cheese]

We were created to know the one who made us. So it starts with that relationship. I know that sounds too simple, but that's the one thing we overlook time after time.

 

[Nick_Loves_Abba]

The purpose of being created is to know who created you?

I'm having alot of trouble lately with my spirituality in general... I'm sooooo confused.  Not to insult God whatsoever... but wasn't it sorta selfish creating a whole world which would be inhabited by billions... knowing full well a very small percentage of them would be saved while everyone else burned for ALL ETERNITY? 

Sometimes I wonder if non-existance is a better thing the existance.  The Bible says, and is proven daily... the odds of actually going to heaven is slim indeed.

 

[Blessed-one]

Real love brings sorrow and pain.

if it was real love and done the right way, i doubt there'll be much sorrow and pain. yes, this's part of the process but the end product is well worth the while.

the odds of actually going to heaven is slim indeed.

hey Nick, howcome? all you need is to follow God, believe in Him, you know.. all the essential elements in salvation and you'll be with Him in heaven!
yeah, Jesus did say that many "Christians" are not actually christians, but if you really trust Him and do what pleases God (which isn't that hard to know with the working of the Holy Spirit), you'll be fine.

Nick, God intended it to be perfect from the start, but men decided to go the other way. It didn't have to be like this, yet even in this fallen world, all of us are given a second chance. Focus on the Lord, Nick. I'll ask you a question, and you can answer it in your heart, is it fair to have God come down and suffer for us? to be mocked and hurt by us? (consider His position and ours after we disobeyed Him)

i'm praying for you.

 

[Amy]

I suppose the Christian answer would be something along the lines of to save souls and to worship God. But that doesn't satisfy me.

I know this kind of answer would not say much to a non-Christian, much less satisfy him. (BTW, are you a Christian, ghoti?)

I know I wouldn't accept such an answer before I became a Christian. Worship God?? You mean singing psalms all day? What a waste of time.

But you know what, it's not singing psalms all day. It is living your life to the fullest, doing what God sent you here to do, becoming what He planned for you to be. Have you discovered what it is? We all have some kind of a gift or a talent. Some write. Some sing. Some raise beautiful families. There's got to be something that you just know that you know that you know - that you are called to do. Maybe you haven't discovered it yet, but it's in you.

God bless,

 

Amy

 

[eldermike]

God intended for His creations to reveal His glory. The bible tells us that the rocks, the water, the stars reveal God's glory.

A life submitted to God is a life that reveals God and His Glory.
This is the purpose of life. We do this by fellowship with God allowed only because of the blood of Jesus. Worship is the humble act of submission to our purpose.

God has a plan for each life, each lifes plan reveals a Holy God to the rest of His creation.

Blessings

 

[DaveKerwin]

Purpose for life is this: To know and love God. The End.

 

[ghoti]

Originally posted by Blessed-one
if it was real love and done the right way, i doubt there'll be much sorrow and pain. yes, this's part of the process but the end product is well worth the while.

 

I beg to differ.  Real love is painful and self-sacrificing.  I'm sure many of you can quote 1 Cor. 13 the love chapter.  All those verses are about giving of yourself.  Love is an action, a lifestyle, a way to live.  And it all includes giving of yourself for others.  Being loved is wonderful, but loving is painful.

 

Yes, Amy, I am a Christian.

 

[GodOwnsMe]

mhhhhhhhhh I don't know I think love is not the part that makes things painful............. hey I'm not sure bout this are you just asking what the meaning of life is or are you 'struggling' with something ??
I'm don't know where you come from I'm pretty confused about stuff aswell but well love is = God and he'll take away all the pain one day & wow maybe just ask him for an answer

 

[Blessed-one]

um.. have you ever felt good about giving to someone? especially when it's someone that you love?

giving is also one aspect of love.

 

[Amy]

Yes, Amy, I am a Christian.

Good! That makes it easier. Not that you automatically get all your questions answered, no. But you know and feel what I'm talking about when I say "God's gift", "God's purpose", and "God's plan for your life".

There's got to be something. There's a musician, or a writer, or a missionary hiding in you - or maybe he's not even hiding, maybe you already know your calling. Go for it! Fight for it, if you have to. I have only found peace when I started fighting for mine.

God bless,


Amy

 

[ghoti]

Just to kind of pick up on something Nick was saying... God's omniscience, right?  So He knows everything.  Why did He cerate us if He knew so many of us would go to hell?

Originally posted by Nick_Loves_Abba
The purpose of being created is to know who created you?

I'm having alot of trouble lately with my spirituality in general... I'm sooooo confused.  Not to insult God whatsoever... but wasn't it sorta selfish creating a whole world which would be inhabited by billions... knowing full well a very small percentage of them would be saved while everyone else burned for ALL ETERNITY? 

Sometimes I wonder if non-existance is a better thing the existance.  The Bible says, and is proven daily... the odds of actually going to heaven is slim indeed.

 

[GodOwnsMe]

......whew.......yes He knows everything & I think thats what makes it so hard to understand Him..........ya know He even let his own son die..........did everything to save men cause He loves them so much I mean he knowed where it would end but still gave people free will-------it's all hard to really get but well He's perfect !!

 

[Blessed-one]

to ghoti,

hey Nick, howcome? all you need is to follow God, believe in Him, you know.. all the essential elements in salvation and you'll be with Him in heaven!
yeah, Jesus did say that many "Christians" are not actually christians, but if you really trust Him and do what pleases God (which isn't that hard to know with the working of the Holy Spirit), you'll be fine.

Nick, God intended it to be perfect from the start, but men decided to go the other way. It didn't have to be like this, yet even in this fallen world, all of us are given a second chance. Focus on the Lord, Nick. I'll ask you a question, and you can answer it in your heart, is it fair to have God come down and suffer for us? to be mocked and hurt by us? (consider His position and ours after we disobeyed Him)

i'm praying for you.