By Gloria Wessner.
Many religions, different ways of thinking about the universe and our place in it, contemporary thoughts on negative and positive energy and different philosophies claim to have answers to and about life. Even if one attains ‘enlightenment’ through meditation, or feels more peaceful with changes in one’s attitudes and values, or receives healing through a gift of spiritual healing through a Higher Power (a nebulous, impersonal force) – these things can alter behaviour and values, but does this answer the nagging question “Is there something more?” Behaviour can be altered and new values held, but that will still not bring peace with yourself or with God.
At the end of the day, (or life) when all is said and done – was your question answered? And who answered it for you? Where will you go to find the answer to “Is there something more?” Is it worth the risk getting to the end of life and just leave all your questions to ‘fate?’
God himself has things he is saying to each of us; both that he is seeking YOU, and he encourages us to seek HIM. In other words, there is definitely something more that he offers, more than any other religion or way of thinking. The following are his words that he says to us today.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10 NLT)
“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:10 NLT) This ‘door’ in this piece means the door to abundant life both here on earth AND eternal life in heaven with God.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” (Luke 12:31 NLT)
“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.’
Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.’
Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ ” (John 6:26a, 27, 29, 35 NLT) My question about life and my purpose in it stops here. He says that if we believe in him, we will never be hungry or thirsty again – that is, no more trying to answer those nagging questions about life: ‘Who am I?’ ‘Why am I here?’ ‘My life feels so empty.’ ‘Something feels like it’s missing in my life.’ ‘Where will I go when I die?’ He has the answers to these questions for us. Jesus himself said, “My purpose is to give them (here He means you and me) a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10b NLT) And, “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” (John 17:3 NLT); “For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:40 NLT)
So this is where the answer lies, then, just waiting for us to actually exercise faith and grasp onto life that is ours in God. An active, personal faith in a relationship with God satisfies all these nagging questions. The instructions follow in the next piece:
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)
I would like to encourage anyone to read the book of John in a modern language version (such as the New International Version, the New Living Translation or The Message), and just read it for what it is. Simply tell God, like I would talk to you, that you’d like to get to know him in those pages and that you want to find answers to your questions about life.
Readers are invited to write Gloria for any discussion @ gloriawes@hotmail.com.