“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the seas and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'” Genesis 1: 27-28
Why am I here? What am I supposed to do with my life?
The question of purpose plagues everyone at one time or another. Knowing why we exist changes everything from choosing a college major to navigating the quarter-life or mid-life crisis.
In Genesis, we see God give two directives for living:
- God created humankind to rule over the Earth.
- God created humankind to raise the next generation to know Him.
Let’s look at that part first. Ruling is a part of the responsibility and purpose of man. It means doing our part in caring for God’s creation – from the plants in the field to our fellow man. Unfortunately, when sin entered the world, everything changed. Even work. Work became harder but yielded fewer results (Genesis 3:17-20). Look at the world today – famine, war, unstable economies, and power struggles. All of this leads to greater frustration, worry, and fear.
The second part is to raise the next generation to know God. But again, as soon as sin entered the picture, the perfect, complementary relationship between Adam and Eve was broken. Enter the first “Battle of the Sexes.” Later, we even see jealousy among siblings, ultimately leading one brother to murder the other. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
What does all this have to do with our purpose and calling? It’s simple. Amid all these depressing realities, there is good news.
Our calling is to do something very human. It’s to make a decision:
Will we receive the grace of God that He offers us through Christ? Will we believe it or reject it?
Our calling is to decide. This decision will ultimately lead to finding our purpose, to the meaning of life, and to the reason that God created each one of us. Once you accept this gift to follow Jesus, God begins to reveal all the little details of how to carry out your specific purpose – full of joy and meaning along the way.
Have you decided?
Will you decide?
Or will you miss out on your ultimate purpose in life?
Written by Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH
