What on Earth are we here for?
" Life is more than survival, otherwise it won't make any sense. It is definitely more than bringing in and building new generation after another just so they could also survive."
I woke up in the middle of the night with this on my mind. Well, not immediately actually. Maybe what triggered it is because I remembered my mother and the days before she passed away. It made me then think if what life is really for and what is our purpose then. Now that I am cultivating my spiritual life and been developing my relationship to God little by little, I of course been encountering of what is our purpose in this life and on this earth but then it still seems to be vague and complicated. It seems that the answer is not that simple. Maybe because I am not yet that spiritually matured enough but tonight, it's different. Just when I thought of reading the bible from cover to cover, it came out to me "could it really be that simple?" and suddenly, "hey I don't need to read the bible from cover to cover just to know the answer". Of course I know I need to read it from cover to cover but not so I can know of what is my purpose, I need to read it so i can know how to live out my purpose. The answer is right there staring at me in the very beginning. I know I am not an expert and maybe laymen will not agree but I think the answer to that question is very plain and simple. No riddles. No superficial explanation.
Genesis 1:28
"26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move the ground"
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 2:5
" and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground"
The message is very clear, we are to be stewards of everything God created here on earth. Why make us in his own image?
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good"
God saw what He did and He liked it and He loved it. He loved it so much that he created man in his own image so to have someone to care for it on the ground as He would do.
I looked up the meaning of the word 'Subdue' and it means " to quite and bring under control; to bring (land) under cultivation". We are to rule every living creature on the water, air and ground. To quite them and bring them under control, to bring balance.
These, my friends are our true and original purpose: To cultivate the land and nourish it; and to bring order and balance to all creatures of this world as if God himself is doing it. That in itself also explains why God instructed men to increase in number, because the world is so big that 2 tenants will not be enough to care for it.
It is, however, very unfortunate that as simple as it is, we are not doing a very good job at it. Man desires for greatness, for importance. He felt that those two roles are too simple "surely there is something more to that, surely I'm more than that". The desire of man for greatness, of self worth, of importance more than what he should be had deviate him to his true purpose. Men, great men have done unthinkable things so to gain self worth and importance, it rooted all our wars and destroyed the order and balance that we should be the main keeper.
This is why a new covenant has been given, a new purpose has risen, why Jesus came: For us to make all our efforts to bring each other back to God. So we can go back to our true purpose and live it - bring back order and balance to this world.
You see, our true purpose is not a mystery, we just don't want it because for us there is nothing great about it. There is where a lot of people are wrong, being entrusted with these vast richness, nurturing what God made here on earth, bringing order and balance in this planet is a noble and a great purpose. Knowing that God trust us with this much is surely not a simple obligation but a fulfilling one.
We are entrusted this earth, this planet and we ought to do it responsibly. It is good that we know of science, of things beyond this planet or this solar system or the universe but then again there is a reason why we are here and why we are not there.
We consume ourselves of knowing if there is life in other planets or in other parts of the universe but in search of it we are completely neglecting the life that we have here and the life that has been given to us. I say there are life in other planets or in other parts of the universe. I mean, it is arrogant to think that as wide as the universe is, we are the only ones to be given life. That same arrogant thinking has been destroying our world and our existence. That wanting to be so special than the others. I say there is life out there, there is someone like you and me out there. Maybe we don't look the same but they too are wondering, thinking the same thoughts we are thinking now. Just like us, they too have their own purpose, to care and maintain order and balance to their own worlds. I just wish they are doing a better job on it.
It is not too late, it is never too late until our world is destroyed. This is why churches are trying very hard to reach out to people. It is not only spirituality, it is life preservation and living out our true purpose - bringing order and balance. They may not know it but aside from bringing back people to God they are also saving this world from destruction because as people are enlightened, that same people are going back to our true purpose and living it.
Now that you know of your purpose, what are you going to do about it? Will you neglect it just like the rest because its too simple or are you going to live it to the very last breath and bring back the glory to God? The choice is now yours...