Mar 10 - "The Meaning of Life"

John 4:27-42
"Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work'"
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Why are we here? What is our purpose in the world? What is it that sustains us? How do we keep going every day?

Believe it or not, I think I know the answer to these questions. Somehow, it has been written on my heart that the reason we are here, the thing that drives every ounce of our being, is... Well, I'll make you read to the end today to find out...

Think about the times in your life when you have been absolutely bursting with joy. The day you graduated from college...a wedding day...the births of children...finishing your first marathon; these are big events for sure! But there is more... What about that time the other day when the sun was shining, there was freshness and warmth in the air from the first hints of Spring, and you got that huge smile on your face, closed your eyes and breathed it deeply in? How about last week, when you heard one of your favorite songs and, since you were by yourself, you sang along at the top of your lungs, totally rocking it out? Maybe it was yesterday, sitting quietly in prayer, thinking about the abundance of blessings in your life, and tears of joy starting gently trickling down your cheeks. Perhaps it is right now, offering thanksgiving for the health, safety or recovery of a loved one...and having the peace of knowing they will be whole again. Why do all of these things feel so amazingly awesome?!?

On a much darker note, we see people in our lives and in the world every day pursuing destructive behavior: drug or alcohol abuse; a pattern of painful relationships; pursuit of material things for their own sake; false, but seemingly eternal beauty at any cost... Even though each of these things, and those like them, can bring about temporary happiness but eventually seem to cause pain and suffering, why do people do them?

I believe the answer to both of the questions, is the same: our souls long to be with God; our very being exists as a constant pursuit of the Holy; we seek completeness. Although many things can come close to filling the God-shaped hole in all of us, only one thing can truly fit.

When we experience great joy, we receive a small taste of what it will be like to be with Jesus, in communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, when we leave this world. That joy can come in the form of a wonderfuly fulfilling life event, or, unfortunately, in the pale comparison of the euphoria of a drug-induced high.

Why are we here? We are here in human form, to continually do things which bring us closer to God. Our souls are nourished by this pursuit. Although the destination is wonderful beyond our ability to imagine, the journey is a rich and beautiful tapestry.

So, feed on the will of God, which is to be with Him. Feed on joy and love, peace and harmony, dancing and singing, beauty and light...all of the things that give us a taste of the eternal life to come for each of us!