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Why Am I Here?
by Dr. Mary Ann Diorio
In an earlier article, we considered the first of life’s three pivotal questions: Where did I come from? In this article, we’ll look at the second question: Why am I here?
Years ago, there was a popular song called Is That All There Is? While I don’t remember the words, I do remember its theme about the seeming emptiness of life.
You may be asking yourself the same question. Isn’t there more to life than just getting up, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, going to bed, and getting up the next morning only to do the same thing all over again? Every day is the same old same old, except for an occasional celebration of some sort. The only break in the monotony is that once a week, you take out the trash.
Or maybe you do lead a fulfilling life, but deep down inside, there’s a gnawing emptiness that just won’t go away. You’ve tried everything, but nothing satisfies. Why? Because in every human being there is a God-created vacuum that only God can fill.
Emptiness and sorrow result when we try to fill that vacuum with substitutes for God—substitutes like another person, the love of money, the pursuit of power, illicit sex, drugs, alcohol, and even food. Man was created to worship God. If he doesn’t worship God, he will worship something else.
The Bible tells us that God created us to glorify Him, “in order that we . . . might be for the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:12). To glorify means to worship. The trouble is we don’t naturally want to worship God. We want to worship ourselves or someone or something else. But when we worship God by putting Him first, He, in turn, blesses our life with purpose and fulfillment.
In the Book of Jeremiah, God says, “My plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Notice the words “My plans”. Have you ever considered the fact that God has specific plans for your life and that His plans are for your good?
During my early twenties, I was living a very full life pursuing graduate studies in a field I love. Deep down inside, however, I was empty. I wasn’t even sure there was a God, let alone a God Who had plans for my life. But when I finally acknowledged His existence and gave Him my life at the age of 25, I began to see those good plans unfold.
God has good plans for your life, too. Those plans include not only the meeting of your every need, but also a unique purpose that only you can fulfill. His greatest plans for you include peace and joy not only in this life, but also in the next.
Knowing God’s plans for you begins with knowing God. And the way to know God is to surrender your life to Him. When you do, He’ll begin to reveal to you His special purpose for your life. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself singing a new song. +++
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(© 1998 by Dr. Mary Ann Diorio. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. Violators will be prosecuted. Copies, however, may be made for personal use, but please include all information at the end of the article as well.
