The Meaning of Life

At night the only light we have is the moon; the light of the moon is not the moon's own light, but the light of the Sun reflected off the moon's surface. In the same way the light that we are called to shine is not our own light, but the light of our savior who has sent us into the world to bring about guidance during the dark hours of night. We must be a reflection of Jesus who is no longer on Earth. We cannot hide our light and keep it for ourselves for it is not ours to hide. We need to go out into the darkness and shine our light for all the world to see; not to bring recognition to us, but to Jesus.

This is the core of our existence as Christians. This is why we are here. This is why God has put us not only in the world, but in our respective countries, states, cities, and even neighborhoods and churches. We are where we are for a reason and that reason is to show Jesus to those in our vicinity who do not know Him. To influence those around us. To help others learn about His love. This is the meaning of life for anyone who follows The Way.

⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

                                                              - John 9:4-5

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

                                                                 -Matthew 5:14-16

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

      You don't really need to read all of these, just get the basic idea.
NVI, Genesis 1 (respectively numbered):

 ³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
⁶ And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."
⁹ And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so.
¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 
²⁰ And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  
²⁴ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
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 along 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. 

       Words. Powerful words. Through words alone God shaped our world, and created us in His image. As pointed out by a dear friend of mine, words are a powerful tool that we received from our Father; our God. But this tool is more often misused then not. Even in simple ways. If I say I'm going to do something, I try to the best of my abilities to do it. Of course I'm not perfect; I forget from time to time. It seems to me that some people just don't care thought, "Sure, I'll help you on Saturday." Friday night they think 'Oh actually I'd rather do that then help him...'.

     If you say you are going to do something, then do it! If you have no intention of following through with your word, don't say anything! If you aren't sure you will be able to, then either don't say you will, or say you will try but might not be able to. Its an easy concept. By taking a few minutes, or even a few seconds you can usually determine whether you will be able to follow through with whatever you are thinking about saying.


NIV, Matthew 5 (Paying attention specifically to 37):

 ³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

      Words can be very hurtful when misused. And very moving, doing much good when used appropriately. Go out! Be responsible! Think! Think! Think! Do good with your words!