Reading the title to this website, I am reminded all-too-well of how close I came to missing the point. I was searching for a reason to live. I was searching for a purpose that made my life meaningful.
I am also humbled, because in 2020, just after the declaration of the world wide pandemic, my friend went to sleep and never woke up. No doubt it wasn’t just the pandemic. He’d been thinking about it a lot. He had a lot of health concerns and no doubt suffered from depression. Being a jovial kind of person outwardly, many people wouldn’t know it. But he was a deep thinker and we used to talk on a variety of subjects via social media (cheaper to do than phoning). I was supposed to see him in June of that year. I was making a point to do so. He never gave me any indication I wouldn’t get that chance. I never blamed him for his decision. Having had chronic health issues, I understood.
But now, it just makes me sad. That person decided to check out because he missed the point. The point would have given him a reason to live. He never had the chance to have a relationship with Jesus. I’m sure anybody that ever talked to Him about Jesus probably came across as self-righteous, know-it-alls and perhaps they were even judgemental. Or maybe they just looked well, normal and mainstream (unrelatable). Or maybe they just wanted to tell him he was going to go to Hell, but without explaining it to him.
I don’t think my friend was a bad person. He messed up sometimes, but he wasn’t malicious. There’s a huge difference. But he and I shared things in common. We were/are both sinners. I’m a sinner. What does that even mean?
To sin is to do something against God’s Holy commandments and if you read the Old Testament, you get to learning how incredibly hard it was to keep some of His laws. It was made hard the moment that Adam and Eve ate that dreaded fruit from the forbidden tree. It was the tree of knowledge. And once they ate from that, well the punishment was death.
For them and all of us who would come afterward, that original sin carried on down the bloodline and accumulated from generation to generation. By the time we arrived at the present, well whatever lineage you might have claimed, it’s a cesspool of sin and generational curses (unless someone’s already gone before you and managed to have some of those broken off). It doesn’t matter how wonderful your ancestors were or weren’t. Acts of goodness don’t guarantee a place in Heaven.
God is the Almighty and the most Holy and He simply cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. So the way to purify people in the Old Testament times was to have them offer offerings of animals and He would literally consume it with fire – to atone for a sin they committed. The offering was a representation of their sin.
Enter Jesus: He would be the ultimate blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of all humanity. But His blood would only wash away and cleanse your sins if you actually accepted Him, pronounced Him Lord of your life and repented (turned from your sin and did your best not to repeat the sins).
Most people have read about Jesus and that His death and the precursor to it was pretty horrific. Mocked, vilified, betrayed, taunted, tortured and then finally killed. Fortunately, for us, Jesus wasn’t just a man. He was resurrected and is the King of Kings. He is a part of the Holy Trinity of the Godhead. And He didn’t become a martyr for martyrdom’s sake. He sacrificed himself so you didn’t have to face eternal death and damnation because He knew you would never be able to maintain such a high standard that The Father requires. Remember, God can’t stand to be around sin – it’s akin to you not being able to stand to be around the most vilest of human beings. Imagine being stuck with that person for eternity?
God weighs sin equally, and us humans tend to approach sin on a 10 point scale with lying probably being minimal compared to say murder or rape being up there as amongst the worst. But for God, every sin merits a 10 on a scale of 1 being the least bad and 10 being the worst.
God created us because He wanted us to enjoy what else He had already created and He created us to love us and to love Him back (but freely – that’s why we had the chance to screw up). Not because He had already made plans to punish us. But there was that angel that decided he wanted to be as good or greater than God…the devil, Satan, Lucifer…whatever name you want to use to describe him…and God cast Satan and his followers out of Heaven and then came the temptation to Adam and Eve with the lies that nothing would happen to them.
Satan’s a perpetual liar and you may be even asking ….is this story about God, creation, Heaven, Hell etc even real? It doesn’t seem plausible. Well either does the universe forming from nothing. Everything is created. God is perpetual.
So, while I’m saddened at the loss of my friend and other friends whom I’ve lost to the same or similar death, and I almost went down that road myself, I’m here. I’m very blessed and no, not more special than my friends. So I can only thank God over and over and over again for allowing me a chance to make things right with Him. I’m still a sinner, but I am trying to get better and I’m forgiven for the sins. And because I have taken that chance and am making things right/er, He is giving me my purpose and showing me, as I’m trying to show you, that the whole point in your life is to have a relationship with God through Jesus.
If you’ve exhausted all possibilities and have been struggling with finding a reason to exist, you’ve found it. It may not seem like it, but sincerely, I say, “God’s the point. He is the whole point and the reason you won’t find wholeness in things, or even many relationships, or experiences, is because without Him, you’ll always have a piece that is missing. And that is the Holy Spirit and eternal life”.
Just as I am saddened at my friend’s death, being that I was due to see him (my flights were cancelled, but I could have seen him later) had I known then what I know now, I would have been on the physical phone talking to Him.
What have you got to lose? If you haven’t anything left to live for, what have you got to lose now, by stepping out in even the tiniest bit of faith, but perhaps the biggest heartbreak you’re experiencing at life – ask Jesus for Help. And if you don’t own a Bible, there are some free apps on the main page that you can download either on a PC/Mac, Tablet or smart phone and you can start looking at Mark (the Gospel of). It’s the shortest Gospel, but it will get you started.
I’ll leave you with one of the most quoted scriptures, because in it sums up God’s love for you. Yes, He does love you and He does want you to make it to Heaven.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son; that whosoever would believe in him would not perish [not be cast into a lake of fire at judgement time], but would have ever lasting life. “ John 3:16 – not the amplified version.
This is from pure memory. I’ve just added the square brackets to let you know that yes, you will die in this life, but you must not be dying by your own hand. You will be saved from an eternal death and you will find the meaning to life and eventually, if you keep calling on God, you will find your purpose as He has a purpose for each of us. But you have to call on Jesus and repent. It’s really simple, but it takes you pushing aside all you think you might know about God and accepting Him at His Word. Jesus is God manifest as man. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was God
If you reached this page at a low point in your life and Jesus doesn’t feature in your life, or is a faded memory, this is Him speaking to you. Seek Him while He still may be found!
In memory of all friends and strangers who have missed the point. A.W (1972-2020), S.T (1978-2009) C.C (1972-1989)
