By Chris WittsMonday 2 Dec 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
They say the most asked question in life is what is the meaning of life? Well, that question was asked of several prominent thinkers years ago in an issue of the Life magazine, and Martin Marty, a church historian at the University of Chicago, answered by saying this – “the meaning of life can be summed up with the simple words ‘love to love and be loved‘. Let’s take a few minutes this morning to try and answer this question. What is the meaning of life?
For most people, meaning in life is derived from earthly accomplishments.
We tend to see those who are the best in football, soccer, tennis or those who are best looking, the most rich or famous, as having lived a valuable or meaningful life. Being the best is not just a buzzword for our society, but is the essence of much of our motivation. Since 1955 the Guinness Book of World Records have sold over 141 million copies in 20 languages, and every year countless people attempt to set new records in hopes of their name being written in this book, and they’ll do anything to retain their standing.
For example, 1967 Donald Campbell tragically died while trying to get his speed boat to travel more than 300 MPH to break his own world record. While many are not motivated to break a world record, most are willing to put in countless hours to be ranked in the upper echelon of society so that they might be seen as having had more meaning in their life.
Is it true that achievements and success = meaning in life?
We desperately want to have a truly meaningful life, and our hope lies in finding meaning for the world in which we live. People joke about finding the meaning of life. Monty Python fans recall an entire movie poked fun at this idea in 1966 about a year before he died, the brilliant physicist J Robert Oppenheimer said, I am a complete failure. This man had been the director of the Los Alamos Project, a research team that had produced the atomic bomb, and he had also served as head of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton.
Yet in looking back, he saw his achievements as meaningless. When asked about them, he said they leave on the tongue, only the taste of ashes. Money does not buy happiness. And the stories we hear today radiate this. Many of the wealthy, they’re still searching for the meaning of life. The French philosopher Voltaire rejected God, and he concluded that all anyone can do is to grow a garden the best you can and try not to think too much about the utter futility of life. Sounds depressing if you ask me. Voltaire reflects the resigned defeat of many people.
The author, Ryan Kelly, said, it was kind of God to place you in a broken world so that you will feel its brokenness. Do you know it was kind of him to not let us get infinite and lasting satisfaction from that which is not infinite or lasting? Only He is infinite and ultimate and lasting – in Him is true satisfaction.
Finding true satisfaction and meaning
It is God who says that life has meaning and purpose when we take Him seriously. So we’ve got to look beyond this world. Our hope lies above. We can attain significance because centering our lives in God gives meaning to our lives. Only the pursuit of God will grant us lasting satisfaction.
And as we look at the Bible, we’ll find ourselves travelling from fleeting earthly values to eternal truths. If you like, from shadows to reality, from sand to solid ground, it’s the old hymn that says ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus. Blood and righteousness on Christ the solid rock, all other ground is sinking sand. In the New Testament, John 8:12 reminds us of what Jesus said. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
The meaning of life cannot be understood apart from God’s plan. For us, the Christian’s life is pre planned and prescribed by our heavenly Father. God has a plan for our life. It’s called the Will of God. He made us for a purpose, and only as we are fulfilling his purpose are we really living. And only in the will of God, will life have any earthly or eternal meaning for us.
So you were made for more than just survival. You will never find fulfilment in life until you begin to live in God’s kingdom by God’s power and for God’s glory.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, I know that many are searching for the meaning of life. I thank you, Lord, that the concept is quite simple. A surrender of my life to you and then you implant in my life a sense of peace and purpose knowing that I can find true meaning as I live my life each day. Amen.