Finding Meaning

[featured_image]Everyone is looking for meaning.

Whether it’s the meaning of life, the meaning of pain, the meaning of hardship, the meaning of success — it seems that people everywhere want to make sense and find meaning in their life and work.

After the horrific shooting this week in Newtown, Connecticut — there are millions of people asking the question, “What is the meaning of this?”

Maybe you are searching for the meaning in the apparent senselessness of the death of young children and caring adults while at school. I wish that I had answers for these kind of questions. I don’t – and I can’t think of how we can understand the full meaning in this world.

I remember when my dad died when I was 17 years old and I tried to make sense of his not being in my life anymore. I wanted meaning – and understanding.

When my sister died of brain cancer in 2006, I wanted to find the meaning and purpose in her death.

I’ve had lots of questions – and not many answers.

What I come back to time and time again are the basic truths I find in the Bible.

1. God exists.
2. God is sovereign.

Especially when I don’t understand or I find difficulty trying to figure out why – or how – these things have happened, I realize that I may never find all the answers to my questions.

Yet I know that God exists. I see His handiwork around me. All of creation gives evidence to its Creator.

And I know that God is sovereignly in control. God’s ways are not my ways (Is 55:8). I may not understand or even like what happens in this world as a result of sin and man’s sinful choices, yet I know that God is working everything together for our good and His glory.

I often come back to the truth of Psalm 115:3, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”
My search for meaning in life, in work, in tragedy, in joy — it’s all found in God.

Ultimately I find meaning in the good news of the gospel. I know that “God demonstrates His love toward us in this: while we were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

While I was dead in my sin and lost in my way and clearly His enemy, He was rich in mercy and by His grace He saved me (Eph 2:1-9). I don’t deserve His grace, yet He chose to adopt me into His family.

So because of this, I trust in Him. I follow Him. I seek after Him and His will.

For me, being in relationship with God through faith in Jesus gives meaning to my life, to my work, to my future. My hope is found in nothing else but Jesus.

And in the midst of the senselessness of shootings and horrific acts in this world, I choose to trust God and in His sovereignty.

If you don’t have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, you will never know true meaning in life. Wherever you are as you read this post today — let me encourage you to place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. He is your only hope!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)