Stanley told about meeting a young man who told him that he was studying medicine. "What for?," Stanley asked.

"To become a doctor," the young man replied with a smile.

"What for?"

"So that I can help people not to be sick."

"What for?"

"So they can live longer lives."

"What for?"

"Well, I don't know ..." the young medical student stammered.

"That," Stanley said with a smile, "is where I've got something to share with you."

What's the point of living longer if we don't know what to do with the extra time? There has to be more of a purpose to life than just avoiding death. That's where science can sell us short and modern philosophies can leave us cold. If our whole purpose is to live a few years then pass into oblivion, then there's really not much of a point to life.

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Some complain that Christianity is just a "pie in the sky" religion, merely holding out hope of something after this life. They fail to see that without hope for life after death, there can be no true hope in this life. There can be no meaning. There can be no purpose.

Jesus came to bring meaning to our lives NOW

Jesus came to bring life, life to the fullest. He is no "pale Galilean" that steals the joy from life; he is the one who can make sense out of our existence here. He can answer the "What for?" that stares each of us in the face. He can take empty lives and turn them into lives of meaning.

If you haven't answered the "What for?" question in your life, let me invite you to visit our website at Hope for Life. Spend some time looking at the videos and reading the articles. Then contact us and let us show you the answer God has for that crucial question. Write to me at tarcher@heraldoftruth.org or leave a comment on our blog if you'd like to know more.

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article. Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org)

Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you, sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions about becoming a new creation.

 

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© 2009 Herald of Truth

Title: "What For?"
Author: Tim Archer
Publication Date: August 26, 2009

3-2-1-Penguins! by Big Idea A brand new video from the creators of VeggieTales! Penguins never looked so cool!

Tim works for Herald of Truth and writes for HopeForLife. He is the co-author of Letters From The Lamb. You can reach him by writing to tim@hopeforlife.org.

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