Life brings many questions. Why do some people have such difficult lives, while others have it so easy?  Why is there so much suffering in the world?  Why are there so many tragic deaths?  

To make sense out of our lives, we need understanding and to gain understanding, we need perspective. 

Is life the air that we breathe? Or is life pure energy? From a Christian perspective one would say that life is action, faith, belief, and relationships, full of emotion, miracles and facts. Life is also growth, change, and experience, intelligent, sorrow, and at times, full of regrets. Life is a story filled with forgiveness, hate, love, disappointment, discouragement, and questions. But what is the real purpose and meaning to the life we have?

We live in a culture that sells us happiness and advertises the good life to those who can afford it; money and things are for those who deserve it. Culture defines life as a time and place to get the best of everything.

A Christian’s perspective about life is very different. We see life as an opportunity to love others and to serve God faithfully.  But as a human being, we sometimes put our wants first. We get concerned when things don’t work out the way we plan; we let financial obligations get the best of us; we overcommit and put hours upon hours into pointless things.

We sometimes let the brand of our clothes, or what we drive or where we live define us. From time to time, we struggle with jealously. We find ourselves working extra hours to buy things we want, not need. We condemn ourselves as failures when we can’t live up to our lofty expectations.

It’s so easy to get sucked into all the good things this world seems to offer but be warned – The world is temporary, and those who chase after its finite pleasures and treasures can too easily fall prey to its illusion and turn from what really matters.

When we conform to the world, we mimic it, agree with it, walk in its ways. We align our perspective with worldly things, such as fallible riches and bodies that eventually wither and die. In effect, we put the world above God in our grand hierarchy of importance.

At the end of our days, we will be measured, but not in comparison to others or to what worldly things we have obtained. We will be measured by a far more demanding yardstick.  

“And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:11-13

source:  What is Life from a Christian Perspective? What is the Purpose and Meaning of My Life? by Lisa Brown; Why Should We Not Be Conformed to This World?  by Jessica Brodie