I asked myself for several years, with all this pain and suffering, what’s the point? What is the point to all this? You live, learn, love, hurt, die and then there’s nothing left. As a child, I believed in God. As an adult I had become estranged to God in many respects. But the reality is, after my suicide attempts I was left looking at everything and wondering, What’s the point?
Yes, I was having an existential crisis. A lot of people do. Some go out and buy expensive cars. Others, well I guess we finally find the truth.
While I wasn’t really looking for the “God” answer, I was trying to find some meaning beyond marriage, family, work for work’s sake, living, suffering, learning, growing old and then finally forgetting and becoming dust. And honestly, I couldn’t find a single meaning to it all that gave reason for any of it. There was nothing that gave me a sense of purpose, nothing that gave me an idea that yes, this is why I exist.
The Big Bang leaves way too many questions for me, and doesn’t answer my burning existential questions. Plus, it’s still a theory. It tells you how you might have got here, but not if it means anything in the grand scheme!
Why are you here? Why do you bother suffering through life? What’s the point if you’re just going to die anyway and you’ll become a faint memory, only to be forgotten? The whole point of your existence is you were created to be loved by God, but also to get to know Him and love Him too. In all reality, it’s a bit of a supernatural parent-child relationship, but it’s bigger and better than anything you could ever experience on Earth. And the relationship continues after natural death.
Still don’t buy it? What else have you looked into? Psychotherapy, astrology, occultism, paganism, drugs, hypnotism, meditation, self-help books, hobbies, adult learning, other spiritual beliefs? Seriously, what has truly worked for you? Beer? How’s that hangover?
Ever wonder why rich famous stars commit suicide? They may appear to have it all, but they don’t have the most important thing of all. What they lack and have not experienced is the truth in God’s love.
Have you ever had someone offer to die for you? Offering to lighten your burden of pain, anguish, insecurity, fear? Someone who can actually do it? That’s what Jesus did. But it wasn’t meant for your human life to be eternal . It was so you could have life after this one, but this life would become more abundant (in meaning, purpose and impact) and the next life would be, well…Heavenly!
That is God’s love.
Had you asked me a year ago if I would be professing God’s love (a seemingly soft mushy concept for an Iron Maiden fan), I would have thought you were mad. I’m typically quiet, reserved, evenly measured and even reading what I wrote is more like the child in me than the stoic cynical realist me which I had become. But you know what? That stoic, cynical realist is the one that tried to commit suicide. So how did being my old self, without God work out? Clearly, it didn’t.
Our ancestors messed up so much that we became so removed from the presence of God that it’s noted as being mere superstition to believe in Him and that the church is just a method for dogmatic control. The church is meant to minister to the people (both inside and outside the church). Fellowship is to help strengthen your faith.
Becoming a Christian is to try and become more Christ-like. You look out for others, not just yourself. You have no other God before the One True God. When you do that, you set yourself on a course for inner growth, change and begin to learn your purpose and the point of all of this life stuff. Ultimately, relationships are the entire reason for our existence and the most important relationship is the one you have with Jesus.
You’ve possibly seen bumper stickers, “Got Jesus?” What does that cheesy-looking slogan imply?
Have you asked him into your life? Have you asked him to become Lord of your life (that means putting Him first)? Have you asked for forgiveness and thanked Him for not only His forgiveness, but for the ultimate price He paid when he was crucified (can you even imagine how painful that was? And then being stuck in the side with a spear for good measure)? If you have done as the Bible instructs, this is the first step.
And if you haven’t, there’s no time like the present. Seek Him with all your heart. Do not be insincere.
I guarantee that if you open yourself up to Jesus, your life will gradually start to look different and you will be on the journey to your personal transformation.
You will have found the point to it all – and it’s so simple!
