Why Are We Here?
Have you ever wondered why we're here? The naturalist says that we're all just an accident, that our existence has no purpose or meaning whatsoever. But the Bible reveals the truth: you were created by a God who loves you more than you can possibly imagine, and who desires the very best for you. Love is not love unless it is free, and so we are given the choice of whether to believe God and live in fellowship with Him, or to reject God and be eternally separated from His love and from all that is good.
As one who has chosen to follow God, I sometimes find my time on earth difficult to bear. I long to be with Jesus. But he has kept us here for a reason. I've been meditating recently on Psalm 37. It starts out,
Do not fret because of evildoers,
nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Our society is filled with examples of people in positions of power and authority, or those with connections to the same, committing reprehensible crimes and facing no consequences. Yet God says that He will bring judgement on the wicked. But what does He instruct us to do? Dwell in the land and do good. It's what we were created for, as it says in Ephesians 2:10:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Our society is like a crucible in which each person is given a chance to believe or reject the truth, to do good or to do evil. As believers, our job is to remain here in the midst of a wicked society to be salt and light. We are called to demonstrate the love of God to others, just as Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12) The only actions we do in this life that have any meaning or eternal significance are the acts of love and kindness that we do for others.
Over a decade ago I happened to read Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia. One of the things that stood out to me was his observation that poverty, hunger, and the other ills of our world are in reality a by-product of spiritual darkness. One cannot relieve these ailments merely by natural or physical means. In order to truly make a difference, people's hearts need to change. They need to be delivered from sin and anger, hatred, greed and corruption, by surrendering their lives to the love of God. So from the beginning, Gospel for Asia has placed an emphasis on not only caring for people's physical needs, but also sharing the truth of God's love and the hope and power of deliverance through Jesus.
People's lives are being changed by this ministry. The Gospel for Asia website has countless testimonies from people who have been delivered from addictions, rage, hopelessness, despair, poverty, spiritual oppression, and much more, all by the love of Jesus and the compassion and kindness of those who serve Him. You can learn more about Gospel for Asia from their short ministry overview video here.
I invite you to take a moment to think about the ways in which your life is making an eternal impact for God, about the ways in which you are sharing the love of God with others, and doing your part to fulfill the Great Commission. There are an estimated 2.5 billion people who have never heard of Jesus' love, and the majority of these reside in Asia and North Africa. If you find that you would like to do more, that you want your life to have a greater impact with eternal reward and significance, would you consider partnering with Gospel for Asia? They have so many great ways to get involved, from supporting native missionaries or Bridge of Hope children, to providing clean water for families or entire villages, to extending help, love and hope to the lowest outcasts of society. Would you like to join them?
It's why we're here.
my advocate is on high.