With recently celebrating another trip around the sun in September, as well as celebrating hopetoinspireyou.com’s eight years of weekly reflections, this quote seemed appropriate to share this week.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
Have you wrestled with the meaning of life?
Why did God create you?
What is the purpose of your life?
Is there more to life than just the humdrum of daily routines?
The purpose of life is not to be happy.
At first glance, that line may seem disappointing, right? What if we interpret it more as being happy is not the most important thing or purpose of our life? Isn’t that a great truth?
Shouldn’t the purpose of life be about being useful, honorable, and compassionate knowing we make a difference in others’ lives while we are passing through this earth to heaven, our eternal home? I believe that constitutes a life lived well.
It is to be useful…
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ –Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV)
What is the best way we can be useful while on this earth? I believe it is to follow Jesus’ two greatest commandments! It isn’t necessarily the prestigious degree or career we have, but rather our usefulness can be measured by how much we love God and our neighbor. We are most useful when we live a life of love, first loving God and then others. Sharing love will manifest itself through acts of service, truly caring for others, and showing them compassion.
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…to be honorable…
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. –1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
The Holy Spirit lives in us, which makes our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit. What a privilege that is! We should make every attempt we can to live honorable lives to glorify God. From the way we treat our bodies with what we put into them physically, to the things we watch and fill our minds with, should be honorable to God. Our actions in the way we live our lives and how we treat others should also be honorable to God.
…to be compassionate…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. –2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
God is to be praised for being the Father of compassion. God’s compassion comforts us in our lives, especially when we experience the most difficult of times. We are to live daily, modeling that same compassion for those we encounter who are suffering and need comfort.
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…to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well…
Good friend, don’t forget all I’ve taught you; take to heart my commands. They’ll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. –Proverbs 3:1-9 (MSG)
How can we live and live well? We need to take to heart God’s commands, share love, and be loyal. Learning to trust God more and more, knowing He works everything out for our good, is another way to live well. We need to keep listening and discerning God’s voice and leading in our lives, showing us what we should be doing. We should flee from evil and run to God as we honor God with everything He has lavished us with.
Be encouraged to see the various opportunities that arise this week to…
…be useful by loving God above all else.
…be useful in the ways you can love your neighbor.
…live honorably by treating your body with respect.
…live honorably by treating others with respect.
…share God’s boundless compassion with others.
…be mindful of God’s compassion in your life.
…make a difference by your life.
…influence others’ lives by living well.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. –Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
