GREAT EMPRESS D.

GALAPON

ACCTY 1-H | BSA 16-333| Theo 1000 7:40A-10:40A F

October 2022

FINDING MEANING IN LIFE

Finding joy in God is the true meaning of life; we can trust Him through difficulties,

defining moments, and both highs and lows. Our mission on this planet is to worship God,

follow Him, and tell others about Him. Both loving God and loving others are commanded of

us and with a full heart, it is our duty to share with those around us what we’ve discovered

about God and what He's given us, for, after all, we feel most alive when we know we are

God's and when we wish to spread that grace and truth to others. Such sense of purpose in life

is essential for happiness; for without it, one's life will become less meaningful and

significant. Additionally, one will usually experience tension and a sense of hollowness

especially when they do not feel connected to what they do. And when one is feeling such

aimlessness and a distinct sensation of loss in life, this is the time that one ought to practice

praying to God and asking him for divine guidance and wisdom. "If any of you lacks

wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given

him," James 1:5 says. And this is incredibly good news because it shows that God has and

desires for each person to find and fulfill their own unique purpose in life especially since it

is a certainty of mortal existence that every single individual on this planet will experience

deep sense of sorrow and grievances at some point in their lives.

Since pain is an inevitable part of life, one should try to find meaning in it. People,

including those with terminal or chronic illnesses, lose hope when they can't see a reason for
their suffering and begin to view life as a waste of time and an ineffective endeavor. They,

therefore, come to the conclusion that there is no point in living in anguish. Living life

without a purpose is a special kind of emotional, cognitive, and spiritual suffering. Despite

the fact that everyone seeks a higher purpose in life, everyone fulfills that urge in quite

different ways. This idea that life on earth is unfriendly to long-lasting enjoyment has led to

many people developing rather pessimistic opinions on life. Numerous personal experiences

have led people to adopt pessimistic outlooks on life, but those who have come to the

conclusion that this world is wholly unsuitable for the pursuit of the ideal of eternal happiness

have two basic possibilities. The first course of action is to declare that life has no value

because it is characterized by anguish and suffering and concludes with total annihilation; in

other words, one can turn into an existential nihilist. However, this is a choice that the

majority of people make every effort to avoid because, in the worst situations, it can leave a

person bedridden and despondent, unable to strive for or work toward anything.

Since suffering can make us more resilient and better equipped to tolerate challenges,

it is crucial for each person to have this understanding of mortal grievances in their cognitive

function. Because character cannot be developed easily and quietly, it is only through the

experience of trial and suffering that the soul can be strengthened, vision can be clarified,

ambition can be inspired, and success can be attained. Just as a muscle must experience some

pain to build up, so our emotions must experience some pain in order to strengthen. Everyone

experiences pain on occasion, and by allowing ourselves to feel this common feeling, we are

all connected in a compassionate web. The dictionary defines compassion as a profound

knowledge of another's suffering paired with the desire to relieve it, but the only way we can

become profoundly aware of another's suffering is through our own suffering. To a blind

individual, a theoretical description of the color blue has no more significance than a

theoretical knowledge of suffering. We must encounter it in order to know it. If we let them,
joy and suffering teach us how to make the mental and emotional jump into another person's

heart and soul. In those open moments, we are aware of the joys and tragedies of others and

care about their problems just as much as our own. One of the biggest advantages of suffering

is that it fosters profound respect for reality and for the way things are. While experiencing

joy opens us up to a world of limitless possibilities, experiencing grief makes us aware of our

limitations. We are humbled by limitations that we sometimes fail to recognize when we're

flying high when, in spite of all our effort, we get harmed. I find it more than symbolic that

when we are in ecstasy, we frequently look up toward the heavens and the infinite, whereas

when we are in anguish, we frequently look down towards the earth, the finite.

I’m sure that what everybody is longing for is some sort of objective significance for

their life, a source of infinite value, and an objective purpose for their existence that reaches

beyond the grave. In all honesty, however, all of these is and can be found through the

knowledge of the infinite God. But first things first, we must come to know God by placing

our trust in Christ for forgiveness and salvation. Then having come to know Him, we ought to

ask how we should spend our life living out whatever calling He has for us, and if heaven bid,

we may even find the things we once loved in life infused with a new charm and significance

Drawing guidance from Luke 2:52, which states that "Jesus developed in wisdom and stature

and favor with God and people," surely sheds light on how we should live our lives in order

to advance by the Father's grace. If our attention is on ourselves, we will probably have a

sense of being cut off from God. If we are only trying to survive or acquire an advantage over

others, we might only have manufactured relationships—or none at all—with others. We

cannot earn a greater righteous standing with God because He has granted us grace, yet we do

experience either distance from or near to Him. While good deeds might inspire us to spend

time with God and bring us closer to Him, they cannot grant us the ability to acquire or

increase the righteousness Christ purchased for us. If we aren't seeing results in our
interactions with God or other people, there is still time to begin and then to continue

improving. We shall feel more connected to God as we follow His example and serve others

more. Serving others makes us feel more connected to one another and helps us develop as a

community, because examining who we are in Christ and asking God to change our hearts

may be necessary if it's tough for us to serve others because after all, it is of no mystery that

God frequently orchestrates opportunities for conversations and relationships that lead to Him

by utilizing facets of our personalities, our skills or talents, and the surroundings in which we

live.

Hence, because God is the source of infinite goodness and love and the model of

moral value, knowing him provides the ultimate significance for our existence, which is why,

regardless of our vocation, we should exalt him and enjoy him forever. Only God can

eternally satisfy our deepest longings, so knowing Him is an incomparable good and the

fulfillment of human existence. As it is stated in Genesis 1:27, "So God created human beings

in His own image," connecting with the Creator requires that we acknowledge that we were

made in his or her likeness; however, doing so is extremely difficult if we have not first

explored God's character because it is in understanding His character that allows us to see

ourselves as being created in His image. This is due to the fact that spirituality is a quality

that involves our capacity to ponder profoundly and unearth life's deeper meaning, to align

ourselves with an overarching goal, and to forge a bond and sense of unity with a larger

power, such as God, nature, or the transcendent. We are instructed to love God and to love

others, thus it is our duty to obey God, enjoy Him, and share the good news about Him with

others while we are here on earth. Given that knowing we belong to God and wanting to

spread that grace and truth to others makes us feel most alive, we must all take what we have

learned about God and what we have been given and share it with people around us.
 REFLECTION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Why is suffering necessary when it comes to living a fulfilled and meaningful life?

One of the biggest advantages of suffering is that it fosters profound respect for reality

and for the way things are, for it is only through the experience of trial and suffering that the

soul can be strengthened, vision can be clarified, ambition can be inspired, and success can be

attained. Not to mention that the glory of God shines most brightly, most fully, and most

beautiful in the manifestation of the glory of his grace. As a result, this is the ultimate goal

and the final explanation for everything — including suffering — because it is the highest,

clearest, and most certain display of God's grace. And a stunning truth is revealed as a result

of this: suffering is an essential part of the created universe in which the greatness of God's

glory of grace can be most fully revealed and things can be seen for what they truly are.

What ought to be a man's chief end/primary goal in life?

The main goal of a man is to glorify God and serve him, enjoy the blessings He has

bestowed upon us, deepen our relationships with Him, and instill in us a spirit of evangelism

that will never fade because only when we truly surrender our lives to the Father can we

discover our true meaning and purpose in life and be able to know Him.