I recently met with a young woman named Emily, who had just lost her mom to cancer. We had met up at a local coffee shop and were enjoying iced mochas on their sunny patio. Throughout our conversation, she asked a few questions she was struggling to sort out in life.
“Mardie, I just don’t know what am I on earth for. What is the real purpose of life? Can I make a difference? And what happens after death? Where do we go?”
I had heard these questions before and even asked them myself. They are important things that we all wonder about but struggle to find real answers. Emily wanted to think she knew the answers but wasn’t sure. I just wanted to help her make sense of some of this.
She asked with a genuine desire to understand, “What am I on earth for?”
I shared that I believe we all have a specific purpose in life and that the meaning of life is likely far less complicated than we think. It starts with examining one question: Why did God create me?
God created you because He loves you and has a specific plan for your life. There are no mistakes. God will reveal this plan for you when you seek it out. He gives us choices and doesn’t force anything on us.
Another way to approach this is by asking the right questions of yourself. Rather than “Can I make a difference?” consider asking, “What can I do to leave something that matters on earth?” This took me years to discover!
I asked Emily, “What specific difference do you want to make? This is not how these questions are typically asked, but when you take the time to break down the true reason, it begins to make sense and takes on a deeper meaning. This is when you find the answers you seek with peace of mind.”
The truth is, we want to live a good life, we want to make a difference, and we want our life to have a purpose. Most people believe that there is more to our lives than going to work, having days off and then leaving this earth when we die. Emily agreed.
She then went on to ask quietly, “If God loves me, then where do I go when I die?” She sat still for answers.
“It sounds like you are asking if you will go to heaven,” I asked. After she nodded, I assured her that perhaps if we answer this last question first, answers to the others may become clear.
I continued by sharing, “Going to heaven is not determined by whether you go to church or how much money you donate to charity. It doesn’t matter if you are a good or bad person, where you are from, if you are rich or poor. It doesn’t matter if you belong to a specific church, what you’ve done, who you know, or what you’ve read. God has a plan for your life here on earth, and your eternal life too. All you need to do is accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you will know you are going to heaven.”
We have all made mistakes (I sure did!) but I found the meaning of life and the reason I was on this earth. This is something Emily needed and wanted to know, and I want to share with you too.
If you’re going about your life without knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are missing the guarantee of going to heaven. God loves you so much, and He wants to offer you a new life full of love, peace, and a purpose as well as eternal life.
All of us need God’s grace, and for Him to help define our purpose in our crazy world. The Bible tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Yes, we all have messed up and aren’t perfect.
The good news is that when we trust in Jesus, everything from our past is completely forgiven. Jesus loves you just as you are today. His greatest desire is for you to open your heart and let Him in and change you for the better. He will give you direction and purpose. He loves us unconditionally.
Without God and His forgiveness, you and I are lost. God made a plan, and a great plan it is: if we accept Jesus as the son of God who came down from heaven, died, and rose again to save us, we will go to heaven and spend eternity with God.
Emily had been listening intently and asked, “So the only way to go to Heaven is through accepting Jesus into my life?”
“Yes,” I told her, “but each of us must make this decision. We must decide where to place our hope and trust and where we will spend eternity. God loves us so much He gave us this choice.”
I continued, explaining that because none of us are perfect, and we have all sinned and are condemned to death without God. The good news is that the Bible says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Without this, we would have eternal separation from God.
I shared that a follower of Jesus named John also wrote: “But to all who believed Jesus and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” It’s that simple – all you need to do is trust in Jesus to save you.
As a tear slipped from her eye, I asked her if she wanted me to continue. She nodded.
“Emily, God wants you and others to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. He wants you to be happy and to live a productive and full life on earth, with a purpose and an even more rewarding eternal life in heaven. This option for your eternal life is available to you right now too.”
In the Bible, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I asked her gently, “Do you want to have this peace about your future and peace in your life now?”
She nodded. “I want to be sure I will go to heaven and be with my mom again,” she said through tears.
“If you declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God sent Jesus so you will be saved here on earth, you are made right with God, and you will be saved. God accepts you and will never leave you.”
All you have to do is:
- Admit that you are a sinner
- Confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God
- Believe that He died and rose again for your sins
- Ask Jesus to come into your heart
We prayed this simple prayer together:
Dear Jesus,
I know that I am a sinner, and I need Your forgiveness today. I confess that You are the son of God. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead to give me a new life. I believe that You are the only way to God. I want to give you my whole life.
Forgive me now of my sins, turn my life around, and show me how to know You better. Help me grow in Your love, grace, and peace more every day. Show me my purpose here on earth so that I can make a difference. Please help me obey You and do Your will for the rest of my life.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If like Emily, you would pray that prayer, you are welcomed into God’s family with open arms.
I would encourage you to read God’s Word daily and find a solid Bible-believing church where you can spend time with other Christians and learn more. This helped me, and it helped Emily!
You will find clear answers to your questions about life as you build a relationship with God and begin to see His plan for your life.
I would love to hear from you too! You can send me an email here.
In Him,
Mardie Caldwell
