Raison D'etre - Purpose In Life
For too many, life will simply end without them ever knowing why it
began. Raison D'etre (ra'zon de'tre) is a French phrase meaning "reason
or justification for being or existence".
What is your raison d'etre?
What is your purpose in life?
What is the reason for your existence?
Money?
Some have made prosperity their purpose in life. These
will "spend" their lives making money to "spend" upon
material possessions. Big bank accounts, the finest of houses and cars, and
luxurious vacations are the top priorities in their lives.
Jesus warned, "Take heed, and beware of
covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth" (Luke
12:15).
Knowledge?
For others, their raison d'etre is the pursuit of
knowledge. To seek to grow in knowledge is worthwhile, but we must be sure to
seek the right kind of knowledge. It is possible to know a lot, yet not know
those things which are most important. The lives of many today are characterized
in the Scriptures as those who are "always learning,
but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (II
Timothy 3:7).
Pleasure?
Some pursue worldly pleasure as the sole reason for
their existence. Some continue to live by the Epicurean philosophy of old: "Eat,
drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die". This philosophy fails to
recognize the fact that we have been created accountable beings which one day
will give account of how we have lived (Romans
14:12).
Again the scriptures warn of many who are "lovers
of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II
Timothy 3:4).
Position, Power,
Popularity...
Others seek position, power, popularity, and the list
goes on and on. What is your reason for existence?
Glorify,
Worship and Serve God!
The Scriptures teach us that we were created by our
Creator to worship and serve Him. The Apostle Paul summed up our raison d'etre
in these words: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink,
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I
Corinthians 10:31). To glorify God is our reason for
existence. This means that we have been created to magnify and exalt
the Lord our God as we humble ourselves and submit to His
authority. Until each of us recognizes this divine raison d'etre, our
lives will never find the fulfillment for which they were intended.
The theme of the Bible has been stated as "the
salvation of man through Christ to the glory of God." Herein
lies our reason for existence; it is found in doing God's will, not our own. Blessed
are those who choose God's way: those who believe in Jesus (Acts
16:31), repent of their sins (Acts
17:30), confess (Matthew
10:32), are baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts
2:38), and live their lives to the glory of God (Revelation
2:10), for they have recognized our true raison d'etre.
The late Batsell Barrett Baxter once wrote: "Life
becomes meaningful only when one understands the deeper purpose behind it, and
one understands that deeper purpose only when he knows Christ."
Have you realized God's raison d'etre for your life? May God bless
you as you seek to do His will.
– David A. Sargent, March 2002 –
GNFY is published under the oversight of the
Alkire Rd Church of Christ elders, 2779 Alkire Road, Grove City, Ohio, 43123.
Please feel
free to reproduce as is. No changes may be made without permission.
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Editor:
Mark Bass, Minister, mebass1957@aol.com,
(614) 875-1028
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Youth
Leader: John Justus, (614) 274-9563
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