Have you ever wondered, is this all there is to life? Is this all there is for the here and now? Years ago there was a song sung by Peggy Lee, called “Is That All There Is?” She sang about that very subject.
There is more to our present life and our future life. There is an afterward ahead for everyone.
One of the most essential and important verses in the Bible is found in John 4:5-6. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus, asked him how they could know the way to God. Jesus answered his question in John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Believing in Jesus and accepting Him, is the only way to settle one’s afterward. To know Jesus is to know God.
Romans 5:2 states: “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We have straight access to God through Jesus Christ. Believers have a permanent, secure position in being enabled to receive God’s grace and peace. Only Jesus can fill that void in life. Jesus wants to replace our worry, grief, despair, and guilt, with His gift of eternal life.
John 3:16 declares: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Our relationship with God begins with faith, which helps us realize that we have been delivered from our sins by Christ’s death on the cross. Romans 6:23 states: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Eternal life is a gift from God, made possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. This gift is for our present life. It gives us a new state of mind, character, and purpose for life.
The promise of heaven is for our future life. As Philippians 3:20 says: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Does this all mean that life will be perfect? No way. Is Christianity a crutch? A lot of people hold onto crutches such as an expensive car, clothes, career, titles, stocks and money in the bank, food, alcohol or drugs, and owning various other material possessions. But do any of these things make life work for you? Does the thrill and joy of owning any of this stay permanent?
If I need a crutch, I would rather lean on Christ rather than a car that could be destroyed in an instant in a car accident, or receive scratches and dings while parked in any parking lot. It is a depreciating item anyway.
More than three thousand years ago, a rich king named Solomon, accrued innumerable wealth and wisdom. Solomon was the wisest and richest man at that time. He had it all and yet kept searching for more. He concluded that even though such things are thrilling to own, death, is certain to end this satisfaction, as he stated in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: “. . . Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
I have learned that I cannot rely on my intelligence, success, or inherited genes because none of these things go on forever or complete me as a person permanently. It can all disappear in an instant. Therefore, I need Jesus every day! I am not self-sufficient. My faith is a major ongoing process in my life. I will admit that sometimes it is weak and other times it is strong. I am far from flawless. But it shapes every aspect of my life’s goals and direction. Even in the midst of life’s problems my faith in God gives me hope, joy, and peace, no matter what is going on around me. My faith in Christ is the basis of my life’s system.
Yes, I lean on Christ. But Christ holds me up. He has named every star in the universe and keeps all of creation in sync.
Our faith in God should heighten our awareness that we cannot do it on our own and that life is not all about me. My heart has to be continually supernaturally changed by my confessing to Christ where I have fallen short and asking for His forgiveness.
Since God loves me, and accepts me, just as I am, why do we fall into the frequent ego filled comparison trap? That produces insecurity, inferiority and is deflating. We become like a balloon that has lost all of its air. Confidence goes out the window and we feel less important. But we need to remember 2 Corinthians 1:21-22: “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
So what is your purpose in life? Is it simply to just get through the day? Make a move toward Jesus if you haven’t done so already. He is waiting with open arms.
What do you think about the most? That is what is taking priority in your life.
John Piper has said: “You get one pass at life. That is all. Only One. And that lasting measure of that life is Jesus Christ.” How will you spend it? Live with eternity in mind. There is more to this life than just living for the here and now.