Why?

This is the second article in a series on suicide and depression that I wrote for the Oakland Independent in July 2018.

In last week's article, I described how a belief in God and His truths might help when we are depressed and even suicidal. This week I want to show you that God can provide a purpose for living that goes beyond yourself and your circumstances, so that no matter what is happening you can know that your life is meaningful.

So do you know why are you here and why are you living? Does it make a difference to you if your life has meaning? Many of the messages in our modern world proclaim that you should simply follow your heart and do what you want, and thus create your own meaning. Nike declares "Just Do It!" But what is it we should just do, and why? If we just do it, will that satisfy us? The problem with any meaning that we create for ourselves is that it does not last and does not satisfy. Jobs go away, sports careers end, all of our stuff breaks, people will fail us, and we all will die.

We need more than just a self-created meaning. Pastor Tim Keller in his book, Making Sense of God, says, "To have meaning in life is to have both an overall purpose for living and the assurance that you are making a difference by serving some good beyond yourself."

Pastor Rick Warren in his book, Purpose Driven Life, points us towards God's purpose for our lives, saying, "It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose."

Here are some of the Biblical passages that talk about God's purpose for our lives.

• In Genesis 1, God tells Adam and Eve to fill to take care of the earth.
• Many of the Psalms make it clear that our lives should be lived to give glory to God. Psalm 84:10 says that a day praising God is better than 1000 elsewhere.
• In Ecclesiastes 12, the wise teacher, after trying all the pleasures of the earth, says, "that the end of the matter is to fear God and keep His commandments."
• The Apostle Paul says, "For to me to live is Christ," and that he wanted nothing more than to "know Christ" (Philippians 1:21, 3:9-10)
• Jesus invited people to follow him (Matthew 4:19), and then commands his disciples to invite others to become his followers (Matthew 28:19-20). He also states that the two greatest commandments from the Old Testament are to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
• Finally, we come to know God through Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then our lives will continue into a perfect life with God throughout eternity (Rev. 21:1-4)

So if we believe the Bible we will find a purpose outside of ourselves that makes an eternal difference. We will live to glorify and love God, and learn to love others too. Even when painful circumstances come, we have the hope of heaven, so we can continue to love God and others in and through the hard times knowing that they will not last.