Living a Life of Love and Meaning -
In a world increasingly marked by despair, confusion, and a crisis of purpose, there's a universal question that echoes in the hearts of the living:
"What's My Purpose?" – (Why am I here?)
Perhaps you've found yourself lying awake at night, wrestling with this very question. Maybe you've looked around at the chaos of modern life— the endless negative news cycle, the political divisions, the isolation of social media—and wondered if there's more to existence than simply surviving another day. The answer to this existential longing (our search for meaning) is actually very simple but quite possibly a most astonishing thought to you: Our primary purpose in life is to ... glorify God. We do that through the very substance that He made us out of – and that is …. love. Shocking? Hear me out.
An Epidemic of Meaninglessness:
Before we can fully realize (walk it out) our purpose, we must acknowledge – that there’s a crisis at hand. Suicide rates have increased by 36% over the last 25 years. Worldwide, nearly three-quarters of a million people take their own lives annually— that's just about 14 people every 10 minutes. Most shocking perhaps is that among young people aged 15-29, suicide ranks in the top three causes of death. These aren't just statistics; they represent real people. Some suicides aren't so sudden - depression is also real and over 1 in 8 Americans are experiencing depressive symptoms - especially among those under thirty. Some hide it pretty good - others not so much- oh they may snap out of it for a time but in far too many cases it marches on ... a slow downward spiral ... psychologists call it "the slow death of despair." Dying a slow death - of a thousand tiny cuts - self-inflicted wounds trying to self-medicate and self soothe - possibly with addictive habits or substances. They're not necessarily in crisis yet - just kind of drifting on a sea of quiet despair. What lurks behind these numbers are - feelings of hopelessness, purposelessness, worthlessness, and meaninglessness. Depression has nearly doubled in the past decade, driven by various influences - including social media, personal isolation, health concerns, the future in general and I believe the lingering effects of the pandemic. What drives this epidemic? At its core, it's a profound disconnect from the source of all meaning—our Creator. Without God, even the wisest among us recognize life's futility. Solomon, in his wisdom, declared in Ecclesiastes: "Vanity of vanities... All that is done without God's guidance is vanity, meaningless, a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind."
Understanding your purpose requires recognizing three fundamental truths:
Love: On Purpose - The Ultimate Purpose
Jesus distilled all the law and prophets into two commandments, both centered on love. From Deuteronomy 6:5, He quoted: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength." And from Leviticus 19:18: "Love your neighbor as yourself." In John 13:34-35, Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.“
This is how we glorify God—through love. Not through grand gestures, but through everyday acts of kindness, encouragement, and presence. When you bake a cake for a neighbor, set up coffee for a meeting, encourage a struggling colleague, or simply show up for someone in need, you pray, you're fulfilling your divine purpose. You're declaring the works of the Lord. Consider the hospital orderly who takes a moment to tell a patient that Jesus hasn't forgotten them. Or the teacher or coach - who sees the potential in a struggling student and invests their time to help them grow. These aren't the powerful or famous; they're ordinary people living out extraordinary purposes through simple acts of love in Christ.
The Foundation: Loving Yourself
Here’s a hard fact that often gets overlooked: You cannot love God or others - unless you first … love yourself. This isn't about ego … or pride or self-absorption— "look at how great I am" - no that's a counterfeit. Rather, it's about having a God-given self-esteem, understanding your value in Christ. The Bible says … we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Every hair on our head is numbered. I have loved you with an everlasting love. No weapon formed against you shall prosper – and hundreds more! We're so valuable that Christ even died for us (a most excruciating death) while we were yet - still His enemies.
God’s truth - is the foundation of healthy self-love—not what we've accomplished, but who God says we are. When you're running on empty, depleted and convinced of your own worthlessness, you have nothing left over to give others. You just can’t give away what you haven’t got. Many people struggle with depression precisely because they've never grasped their inherent value in God's eyes. They measure themselves by the world's standards—success, appearance, popularity, wealth—rather than by their Creator's declaration of worth.
Standing Against the Darkness
The enemy's strategy is to convince you that your life doesn't matter, that you're worthless, - it isn’t worth it and that giving up is the only option. But Psalm 118:17 offers a powerful counter-declaration: "I will not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.“
If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide or deep depression, please seek help immediately. Talk to a professional, a trusted spiritual leader, Pastor, or call a crisis helpline. God's answer through Jesus Christ is always hope, always life, always love—but sometimes we need human hands and voices to deliver that message. That’s another purpose of God’s (for us) to help the hurting and point out the Hope we have in Jesus. Prayer has power. Speaking truth has power. When darkness closes in, cry out to God. Say the Lord's Prayer aloud. Declare Scripture over your life. Even just proclaiming the name above every name - "Jesus" - is the shortest and most effective prayer that I know! The oppressive weight will lift, sometimes in an instant, when we turn to our Creator. Darkness can not stand in the Light.
Living Your Purpose Daily:
So how do we live this out practically? Remember the acronym “W.H.O.” – The answer is “God” of course but the letters – stand for “W” - Worship God in everything you do. Do your work as unto the Lord. Every meeting, phone call, email, and conversation is an opportunity to “H” Honor God and love others. When we “O” Obey God – we fulfill His great command – to Love. In yielding to Him - We Honor and Worship Him!
Speak life, not death. Affirm the people around you. Tell your children, grandchildren, friends, and colleagues that they're valued, that you're proud of them, that they matter – they count!
The Author - Kathryn Stockett' – in her book and what became a movie - “The Help”- has one of the most awesome pieces of advice I’ve ever heard – it is perhaps the greatest movie line I’ve even known … - Maid Aibileen fills the little girl - Mae Mobley daily, with courage, "You is smart, you is kind, you is important" –this is encouragement at it’s finest – it sees God in every child – and served to negate her mother's neglect, giving this child the love that was missing and affirming her God given being. – You see … you are – we are all - deeply loved by the God who created you. Let us all say so!
Love—love God, love others, and love yourself as God loves you. Your purpose isn't found in worldly success. These things do matter - we have to live and work and provide for ourselves and others in all practical things - but -our success and purpose is not measured by social media followers or bank account balances – the car you have in your garage. Your purpose is found only in relationship with your Creator Jesus Christ and expressed through love for others.
You were created in God’s image for God's good pleasure – we’ve gotten that twisted backward and have somehow convinced ourselves that God exists for our good pleasure. We exist for His … don’t get me wrong – He also derives great pleasure from us – as we fulfill our destiny and perfect plan in Him He has uniquely designed us with specific gifts, talents, skills and abilities that only you can fulfill. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do." - Eph. 2:10
In a world desperately searching for meaning, you carry the answer: a God who loves unconditionally, a Savior who died to set the captives free, and a Spirit who empowers you to live, to laugh, to learn, and to love abundantly. That is your purpose. May we always see what we do through Christ's lens of love!
Amen!
Blessings,
Bob
In a world increasingly marked by despair, confusion, and a crisis of purpose, there's a universal question that echoes in the hearts of the living:
"What's My Purpose?" – (Why am I here?)
Perhaps you've found yourself lying awake at night, wrestling with this very question. Maybe you've looked around at the chaos of modern life— the endless negative news cycle, the political divisions, the isolation of social media—and wondered if there's more to existence than simply surviving another day. The answer to this existential longing (our search for meaning) is actually very simple but quite possibly a most astonishing thought to you: Our primary purpose in life is to ... glorify God. We do that through the very substance that He made us out of – and that is …. love. Shocking? Hear me out.
An Epidemic of Meaninglessness:
Before we can fully realize (walk it out) our purpose, we must acknowledge – that there’s a crisis at hand. Suicide rates have increased by 36% over the last 25 years. Worldwide, nearly three-quarters of a million people take their own lives annually— that's just about 14 people every 10 minutes. Most shocking perhaps is that among young people aged 15-29, suicide ranks in the top three causes of death. These aren't just statistics; they represent real people. Some suicides aren't so sudden - depression is also real and over 1 in 8 Americans are experiencing depressive symptoms - especially among those under thirty. Some hide it pretty good - others not so much- oh they may snap out of it for a time but in far too many cases it marches on ... a slow downward spiral ... psychologists call it "the slow death of despair." Dying a slow death - of a thousand tiny cuts - self-inflicted wounds trying to self-medicate and self soothe - possibly with addictive habits or substances. They're not necessarily in crisis yet - just kind of drifting on a sea of quiet despair. What lurks behind these numbers are - feelings of hopelessness, purposelessness, worthlessness, and meaninglessness. Depression has nearly doubled in the past decade, driven by various influences - including social media, personal isolation, health concerns, the future in general and I believe the lingering effects of the pandemic. What drives this epidemic? At its core, it's a profound disconnect from the source of all meaning—our Creator. Without God, even the wisest among us recognize life's futility. Solomon, in his wisdom, declared in Ecclesiastes: "Vanity of vanities... All that is done without God's guidance is vanity, meaningless, a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind."
Understanding your purpose requires recognizing three fundamental truths:
- Know The ‘Purposer'. You cannot know your purpose without consulting the One who made you, saved you, and guides you. God is not a distant, disinterested force—He is intimately involved in your life's design. HE thought of you first – ought you not to know or consult the architect - to what He built – what in the world was He thinking?
- Go In His Gifts. Jesus commanded His followers to go into all nations. When He directed His Disciples – take “nothing for the journey” – and us too today - it was about going with the gifts God has already placed within you. Not your wisdom – strength – pride or debit card. When people recognize – you have no agenda but to love them – they see your Creator in you – Jesus Christ. Your sphere of influence—whether a classroom, a hospital room, a corporate office, or your own living room—is your mission field.
- Grow Up In Him. Our purpose isn't stationary or static; it's developmental. We're called to mature in our faith, continuously becoming more like Christ in our thoughts, words and deeds.
Love: On Purpose - The Ultimate Purpose
Jesus distilled all the law and prophets into two commandments, both centered on love. From Deuteronomy 6:5, He quoted: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength." And from Leviticus 19:18: "Love your neighbor as yourself." In John 13:34-35, Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.“
This is how we glorify God—through love. Not through grand gestures, but through everyday acts of kindness, encouragement, and presence. When you bake a cake for a neighbor, set up coffee for a meeting, encourage a struggling colleague, or simply show up for someone in need, you pray, you're fulfilling your divine purpose. You're declaring the works of the Lord. Consider the hospital orderly who takes a moment to tell a patient that Jesus hasn't forgotten them. Or the teacher or coach - who sees the potential in a struggling student and invests their time to help them grow. These aren't the powerful or famous; they're ordinary people living out extraordinary purposes through simple acts of love in Christ.
The Foundation: Loving Yourself
Here’s a hard fact that often gets overlooked: You cannot love God or others - unless you first … love yourself. This isn't about ego … or pride or self-absorption— "look at how great I am" - no that's a counterfeit. Rather, it's about having a God-given self-esteem, understanding your value in Christ. The Bible says … we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Every hair on our head is numbered. I have loved you with an everlasting love. No weapon formed against you shall prosper – and hundreds more! We're so valuable that Christ even died for us (a most excruciating death) while we were yet - still His enemies.
God’s truth - is the foundation of healthy self-love—not what we've accomplished, but who God says we are. When you're running on empty, depleted and convinced of your own worthlessness, you have nothing left over to give others. You just can’t give away what you haven’t got. Many people struggle with depression precisely because they've never grasped their inherent value in God's eyes. They measure themselves by the world's standards—success, appearance, popularity, wealth—rather than by their Creator's declaration of worth.
Standing Against the Darkness
The enemy's strategy is to convince you that your life doesn't matter, that you're worthless, - it isn’t worth it and that giving up is the only option. But Psalm 118:17 offers a powerful counter-declaration: "I will not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.“
If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide or deep depression, please seek help immediately. Talk to a professional, a trusted spiritual leader, Pastor, or call a crisis helpline. God's answer through Jesus Christ is always hope, always life, always love—but sometimes we need human hands and voices to deliver that message. That’s another purpose of God’s (for us) to help the hurting and point out the Hope we have in Jesus. Prayer has power. Speaking truth has power. When darkness closes in, cry out to God. Say the Lord's Prayer aloud. Declare Scripture over your life. Even just proclaiming the name above every name - "Jesus" - is the shortest and most effective prayer that I know! The oppressive weight will lift, sometimes in an instant, when we turn to our Creator. Darkness can not stand in the Light.
Living Your Purpose Daily:
So how do we live this out practically? Remember the acronym “W.H.O.” – The answer is “God” of course but the letters – stand for “W” - Worship God in everything you do. Do your work as unto the Lord. Every meeting, phone call, email, and conversation is an opportunity to “H” Honor God and love others. When we “O” Obey God – we fulfill His great command – to Love. In yielding to Him - We Honor and Worship Him!
Speak life, not death. Affirm the people around you. Tell your children, grandchildren, friends, and colleagues that they're valued, that you're proud of them, that they matter – they count!
The Author - Kathryn Stockett' – in her book and what became a movie - “The Help”- has one of the most awesome pieces of advice I’ve ever heard – it is perhaps the greatest movie line I’ve even known … - Maid Aibileen fills the little girl - Mae Mobley daily, with courage, "You is smart, you is kind, you is important" –this is encouragement at it’s finest – it sees God in every child – and served to negate her mother's neglect, giving this child the love that was missing and affirming her God given being. – You see … you are – we are all - deeply loved by the God who created you. Let us all say so!
Love—love God, love others, and love yourself as God loves you. Your purpose isn't found in worldly success. These things do matter - we have to live and work and provide for ourselves and others in all practical things - but -our success and purpose is not measured by social media followers or bank account balances – the car you have in your garage. Your purpose is found only in relationship with your Creator Jesus Christ and expressed through love for others.
You were created in God’s image for God's good pleasure – we’ve gotten that twisted backward and have somehow convinced ourselves that God exists for our good pleasure. We exist for His … don’t get me wrong – He also derives great pleasure from us – as we fulfill our destiny and perfect plan in Him He has uniquely designed us with specific gifts, talents, skills and abilities that only you can fulfill. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do." - Eph. 2:10
In a world desperately searching for meaning, you carry the answer: a God who loves unconditionally, a Savior who died to set the captives free, and a Spirit who empowers you to live, to laugh, to learn, and to love abundantly. That is your purpose. May we always see what we do through Christ's lens of love!
Amen!
Blessings,
Bob
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
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