What's the Point?
She asked a simple but profound question that summed it all up.
Here we were, processing through all the events of the weekend after visiting nine different religious centers in a weekend.
"I hear these people talk about their faith, but what do they do with it? I just wonder have to wonder: what is the point?" my friend asked.
Her observation was valid because from all the people we talked to and all the rituals we observed and all the questions we asked, it was hard to understand the bottom line of these faiths. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Baha'i, Sikhism, Soka Gakkai, Judaism. What is the point?
Some did not believe in an afterlife. Some did not believe in a higher power at all. When a higher power was acknowledged as a creator, no one was able to give an explanation of why he would do such a thing except maybe to display his power. Most said that the idea of "evangelism" or sharing their faith was not important. Even of those that did value proselytizing, there was not much evidence that they were really doing anything about it. They would talk about achieving happiness through chanting, rest from anxious thoughts from meditation, and world peace through tolerance. But is that really what we want...I mean the bottom line of what we really know we need?
All this makes me ponder our Christianity, our faith, our God. When people look at us, do they ask the same question that my friend asked about all other religions? "I hear these people talk about their faith, but what do they do with it? I just wonder have to wonder: what is the point?"
Here is the point: We are fearfully and wonderfully created by the Sovereign Sustainer of the universe because He desires relationship with us and desires us to have relationship with Him. He is the One and Only God, and He is set apart from all others because of His intense love, righteousness, holiness, and justice.
Although we separated ourselves from Him by sinning and choosing other things over His glory, He did not give up on us. Instead, He made a way to bring us back to God by sending His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment of our sins and pay the penalty of death for us. In this way, He is one who is just and justifies.
Now, because of all this, we can accept this free gift of salvation and redemption. And our renewed relationship with God changes everything because He places His very Spirit inside of us. Through Him, we can know God more and more and have an intimate friendship with Him. He is our source of hope when we are hopeless, guidance when we are lost, joy when we are empty, peace when we are anxious, faith when we despair, light when we face darkness, and so much more.
Because of this amazing true story that changes our lives, we have purpose. We wake up every day in order to know God more. We make it out mission every day to tell others about this Jesus who has given us life. And we live every moment of every day for His glory, meaning that we seek to lift Him up and make Him famous.
So what is it that we really want? Is the bottom line of religion happiness and world peace? Or are we searching for something so much more, something like true identity, a purpose that makes you jump out of bed in the mornings, and a relationship with someone that will absolutely rock your world.
"Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete...We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true - even in His son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 1:3-4; 5:20
Here we were, processing through all the events of the weekend after visiting nine different religious centers in a weekend.
"I hear these people talk about their faith, but what do they do with it? I just wonder have to wonder: what is the point?" my friend asked.
Her observation was valid because from all the people we talked to and all the rituals we observed and all the questions we asked, it was hard to understand the bottom line of these faiths. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Baha'i, Sikhism, Soka Gakkai, Judaism. What is the point?
Some did not believe in an afterlife. Some did not believe in a higher power at all. When a higher power was acknowledged as a creator, no one was able to give an explanation of why he would do such a thing except maybe to display his power. Most said that the idea of "evangelism" or sharing their faith was not important. Even of those that did value proselytizing, there was not much evidence that they were really doing anything about it. They would talk about achieving happiness through chanting, rest from anxious thoughts from meditation, and world peace through tolerance. But is that really what we want...I mean the bottom line of what we really know we need?
All this makes me ponder our Christianity, our faith, our God. When people look at us, do they ask the same question that my friend asked about all other religions? "I hear these people talk about their faith, but what do they do with it? I just wonder have to wonder: what is the point?"
Here is the point: We are fearfully and wonderfully created by the Sovereign Sustainer of the universe because He desires relationship with us and desires us to have relationship with Him. He is the One and Only God, and He is set apart from all others because of His intense love, righteousness, holiness, and justice.
Although we separated ourselves from Him by sinning and choosing other things over His glory, He did not give up on us. Instead, He made a way to bring us back to God by sending His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment of our sins and pay the penalty of death for us. In this way, He is one who is just and justifies.
Now, because of all this, we can accept this free gift of salvation and redemption. And our renewed relationship with God changes everything because He places His very Spirit inside of us. Through Him, we can know God more and more and have an intimate friendship with Him. He is our source of hope when we are hopeless, guidance when we are lost, joy when we are empty, peace when we are anxious, faith when we despair, light when we face darkness, and so much more.
Because of this amazing true story that changes our lives, we have purpose. We wake up every day in order to know God more. We make it out mission every day to tell others about this Jesus who has given us life. And we live every moment of every day for His glory, meaning that we seek to lift Him up and make Him famous.
So what is it that we really want? Is the bottom line of religion happiness and world peace? Or are we searching for something so much more, something like true identity, a purpose that makes you jump out of bed in the mornings, and a relationship with someone that will absolutely rock your world.
"Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete...We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true - even in His son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 1:3-4; 5:20
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