Key Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 – “I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?”

Devotional:

Have you ever asked yourself: What’s the point of all of this? What on earth am I here for? I certainly have. There’s a desire deep within each of us to matter, to make a difference, to have a purpose, to be valued. We look for it everywhere: in our spouse, careers, family, where we live, and how much we own.  

In searching for purpose, we’re prone to buy into the idea that we exist to live, work, get married, have kids, have fun and eventually we die. We think if I could just get “there” – whatever “there” is for you – then my life will have a purpose. The problem I’ve found in this is there is always another “there.”

In the striving and waiting, it’s tempting to ask God, “Why?” Why has He ordered our days and allowed different seasons the way that He has? Ecclesiastes points out that like animals, we are God’s creation, creatures not in control of times of seasons. As God’s creations, we have no right to demand anything of Him, but as humans, we do have an opportunity not offered to animals.

When God formed Adam and Eve, He made them in His own image. Humans were created to reflect God to the created world. The imago Dei, image of God, was to be a visible and understandable representation of who God is to the world around them. Sin disfigured and distorted our reflection to a degree, but the imago Dei is still present. It sets us apart from all other living creatures. Every single human being has the status of being made in God’s image and for every person who declares Jesus as Lord and Savior there is a purpose.

Apart from Christ, life is meaningless. Without Him all we have is a goal rooted in squeezing as much pleasure out of this world as possible. That’s great for a season, but where does it lead? When I got married, my husband was not a believer. According to him, before our wedding, he asked, “What if I never believe the same things you do?” in reference to faith. Now the story goes, though I have no recollection of said conversation, that my response was, “Well, I’m sure we will have a great life together and I’ll miss you in eternity.” Friends, can you believe the audacity! I simultaneously laugh and shudder as I share that story. Thank you, Lord, for progressive sanctification for me and salvation for him.

As absurd as that response may have been, it was true. Like Adam, we come from dust, and one day to dust our mortal bodies will return. Without Christ, our story ends in separation from God for all of eternity, and the answer to the question of why we are here on earth goes unanswered.

Christ came that we might have life, and not just life, but life abundant. The word abundant is defined as: existing or available in large quantities; plentiful; oversufficient; beyond regular; beyond normal; a quantity so plentiful as to be considerably more than what one would expect. The abundant life is eternal. Surrender, obedience and sacrifice are foundations of the abundant life found in Jesus Christ. In the abundant life offered through Christ we find the answer to, “What on earth am I here for?”

God sent Jesus on a rescue mission that we might live. In Him, we live for His glory and so that all nations, tribes and people would know Christ as Lord. In Him, we have eternal life and certainty of the destination of our souls.

If today you find yourself walking solo with Jesus in your marriage, don’t give up. God is at work in all things. May you be a conduit of God’s grace and mercy as He strengthens you to reflect the joy and hope found in Him. May your spouse be won over through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. And take heart, their salvation is not reliant on how eloquent your words are (thank you, Lord), but on how great our God is. God sees you, and He is working.

For the marriages following God together, be humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. May your marriage be built on Christ, mutually committed to putting on display the covenant relationship between Christ and the church. May your marriage flourish as you pursue Christ and the mission of God together.

Deepening questions:

• What are you pursuing? Whom are you pursuing? Would your calendar and bank statement agree?
• Discuss with your spouse: What is the purpose/goal of our marriage?
• Who needs to hear the good news of the gospel from you today? What will you do about it?

Further reading:

Job 38-42, Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 11:7, James 3:9, John 3:16-17, Psalm 46:10, Matthew 28:18-20, Ecclesiastes 12:7