Life is all about enjoying the things that matter most – family, friends, fun and freedom. Or so we’re told. The push to safeguard everyday life and the ones we love in the event of an accident, sickness or death is ever-growing. And in a society where uncertainty is sweeping the nation, clever marketing campaigns have us convinced that the security of our loved ones futures is dependent on financial indemnity.

The idea of Life Insurance is somewhat of a soothing balm on our tender perceptions of death. Particularly to a human race who like to think we’re in control.

I am the master of my destiny…

..I think. I hope.

But are we really in control? Do we truly exercise complete authority over our lives?

It’s an uncomfortable thought because things are going wrong. Sickness, loneliness, boredom and shame are increasingly present in our lives and it’s becoming harder to believe that we’re in charge. But the idea that someone else might be in control leaves us feeling even more uneasy. Because if we’re not running the show known as life, our search for future security has no dependence on anything we do.

We don’t get to choose when we die.

It’s a devastating realization that all the safety measures we’ve worked so hard to put in place might not have any lasting effects on ensuring we’ve lived lives worth the while. And even if we have, what happens next? How will life insurance payouts cure the sickness, loneliness, boredom, shame and our utter desperation for some kind of meaning to it all? The cries of human hearts for meaning and validation plague our entire lives and ultimately drive us to put hope and expectation in things which in reality have no lasting merit.

But you already know that.

What we want isn’t insurance on a life we know is only temporary. The desperate longing of our inner-most being isn’t to protect what we already have. What we’re really searching for is assurance of a life which will last. A life better than all we’ve ever known. Because what we know is fraught with brokenness and hurt and we’re helpless to fix it ourselves.

A long time ago, a member of the Jewish ruling court called Nicodemus approached a teacher by the name of Jesus who had performed miracles. He said to him ‘Rabbi (which means teacher), we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could do these signs (miracles) that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2) Their conversation continued and the man called Jesus said to Nicodemus that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send His son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16)

This man Jesus is the Son of God. He is the giver of life that will last. He came to earth as a human, he suffered through human sufferings. He died a human death and was raised to life. And he did all this to give us certainty that there is a God who is stronger and in complete control of the life that we’re so desperate to save. He didn’t come to ‘insure’ that the lives we’re already living are good enough. But he came to assure us that life lived with Him is worth the while because it will result in perfect eternity with the God who loves us beyond measure and so dearly wants our lives to be saved from the hopelessness which comes from death.

Am I saying that life only begins after death?Am I saying that life on earth doesn’t matter? Absolutely not! What I mean is this: True life begins only after acceptance of the death of Jesus Christ and the acknowledgement that He is God. The Bible is so clear as to what our purpose in life should be. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived according to the Bible, discovered the uselessness of life if it is lived only for what is temporary (the human world). In the conclusion of his book, Ecclesiastes, King Solomon says; “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments. This applies to every person.”

Is life really truly about enjoying friends, family, fun and so called freedom? After searching for answers in a world which offers uncertainty, unreliability and no promises for a future, I have found that my purpose on earth is to glorify my Father, my King, my saviour, my Lord and to enjoy all the good that He brings. Through repentance of my rejection of Him and a new life of obedience to Him, my eyes now rest in comfort on a future home heaven and on an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. And what a truly joyous and abundant new life I am living.

What are you living for?

This guest post was written by a City North Young Adult.

From January 29th we are looking back to the beginning: The beginning of history, the beginning of life, the beginning of our understanding of God! 

One of the most famous sections of scripture in the Bible and yet it is one of the least studied.  As we pour through this primeval history we hope that God will help us to see past the debates concerning religion and science, creation and evolution, to the message that God longed for His people to hear when these words were first written.

As we start a new year at City North join us in the evening services as we look at the first 12 beautiful chapters of the Bible.  We will see what God was doing through the famous stories of creation, the fall, Cain & Abel, the flood, Babel and the call of Abraham.  Our prayer is that they would be more than nice stories you remember from Sunday School, that rather you will be impacted by the reality of God: His power, creative genius, justice, mercy, love and grace!

Please come along with open minds and hearts from January 29th through to the end of March!

The annual conference Women of Purpose continues in 2012 with the aim of Proclaiming God’s Word in its Fullness.

Register!

This year as we open the Bible we will explore God’s Shameless Love that He has so extravagantly revealed, and will be spurred on to unashamedly share it in a hostile world. Women of all ages who love being taught and challenged from God’s Word are invited to share with us in a day of Bible teaching, singing, delicious food and fellowship. Further information and registration with online payment is available at register.citynorthbaptist.com

Event Details:

• 17th March 2012; 8:30am; City North Baptist Church; 52 Yiada St, Kedron; QLD
• Early Bird (Adult/Student): $30/$25 (ends 26th Feb)
• Add $5 for late registrations (close on 12th March) *we apologise for a misprint in the recent promotional email.*
• Morning Tea & Lunch Included
• Bookshop with cash and credit card facilities
• Promotional Brochure