We Were Not Created To Exist

By George Nicholson | October 31, 2016 | Blog

I recently shared a conversation with a homeless man I met on the streets of Chicago in the Old Town neighborhood. Sitting next to each other on the sidewalk we talked about his life – a life that was once overflowing with hope and optimism, yet now is filled with despair and regret. A life without hope or purpose. I asked him if he wanted a better life. He told me he wished things were different. He wished things were better. But sadly, he had not yet discovered a vision for making it so. Each day for him is the same as the one before. Nothing changes.

In 1989, contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman released a song titled, More to this Life; the lyrics of which are as true today as they were more than 25 years ago when he wrote them. This song tugs at my heartstrings for the vast majority of people I meet every day:

Today I watched in silence as people passed me by,
And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes;
But they all looked back at me as if to say
Life just goes on.

The old familiar story told in different ways,
Make the most of your own journey from the cradle to the grave;
Dream your dreams tomorrow because today
Life must go on.

[Chorus] But there’s more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.

Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,
And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,
But in the morning light it looks the same;
Life just goes on.

Sadly, the vast majority of people go through life the same way. They live day-to-day, not really knowing where they are going or how they will get there. They merely exist.

But God did not create us to exist. He created us to live – and to live life abundantly. In John 10:10b (KJV) Jesus told his disciples, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The New Living Translation states it this way; “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

When God created us He planted the seed of a vision in our life of what He wants us to pursue – His goal for our life. He also equipped us with the specific gifts, talents and abilities we would need to achieve that vision. God did not create us to drift aimlessly, tossed about by the day-to-day vicissitudes of life. He gave us a lighthouse in the form of a vision to guide our direction. We discover that vision in the things we are most passionate about. The things that motivate us. That compel us. The things we find our greatest pleasure doing.

A Harvard study found that 84% of people in the United States actually go through life without any defined goals. They lack vision. Even more discouraging is that despite a consensus among experts that clearly defining and writing your goals on paper will increase the likelihood of achieving them by more than 50%, still only 3 out of every 100 adults actually do.

The reason most people don’t have a plan that will help them get where they are going is because they simply don’t know where they are heading. The first step on any journey is knowing where it is you want to go. Take the time to pray about it. Then, write it down. The moment you do you will instantly be further down the path to achieving your goal than 84% of the rest of the people on this planet.

Discover the unique vision God planted in your life and transform it into reality.

George Nicholson is the author of Built on Purpose: Discover Your Life’s Vision and Transform It into Reality.