Finding your purpose

“For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20). Death is a natural part of life, but suicide, sadly, is an unnatural part; it is a taking of something for which we do not have a right.

Why do people commit suicide? Perhaps it is because all of the problems of life are not dealt with adequately. The true purpose of life has not been exploited. In Luke 15, the prodigal son thought he had found purpose in life when he spent his inheritance. In Luke 16, the rich man thought he had found purpose in life with the acquisition of riches. But both the prodigal son and the rich man had the wrong purpose in mind.

How can someone know their purpose in life? To me, the best way is to look at what God intended to be the directions for life: the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul had found purpose, and it involved serving the Lord (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). If someone who is having problems in life can hang on and look for heaven while faithfully serving our gracious God, they can be glorified far beyond the issues that are plaguing them. Do you know your purpose in life? If you would like to know more, please contact us for a Bible study.

Kyle Campbell