Spring Break Devotional Day 1

"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3)

If someone asked you "what is the goal of life?"- how would you respond? Some might say that life is meaningless, so why even set goals? Deeper thinkers might respond by claiming that the goal of life is found in understanding what gives life meaning, and once that is grasped, the meaning of life becomes accomplishing that goal.

Everyday we are bombarded with the message which says that the goal of life is personal pleasure. If we take on that goal, then self-gratification becomes the driving force that gives our life meaning. At that point it is easy to take on the mentality that says: "We want everything that life has to offer and we want it now!"

However, if personal pleasure is what gives our life meaning, then life without consistent pleasure is meaningless. Our culture is obsessed with entertainment, famous people, sports, money, sex, cars, drugs, power, and anything else that will (theoretically) give us great personal pleasure. When we allow personal pleasure to be our focus in life, we end up with a shallow and lonely life that falls apart when we discover that the shiny happiness coins of life eventually lose their luster. Those who follow the self-gratification path are like castaways on an island drinking seawater to quench their thirst.

If you don't believe it, then check out the suicide rate of the rich and famous!

As Christians our goal in life is simple: to love God and enjoy Him forever. God set up life in such a way that the paths apart from Him are a sure way to a meaningless and wasted life.

Conclusion? We must share what gives our life meaning with others. We must demonstrate by word and deed that there is more to this life than the simple pursuit of pleasure. People need to know that they can find a goal in life that is outside of themselves, an everlasting purpose that transcends what the world has to offer. Jesus put it this way:

"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." (Matt. 16:26-27)

Most teenagers have an idea of what they want to be when they grow up- which is a positive thing. Yet don't forget that God wants to be the center of our goals and dreams. He gave His life so that we could live the way it was intended to be. In fact:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (I Cor. 2:9)

What tends to happen is that we forget about God and pursue our own way without Him. We chase the temporary toys and lose our eternal reward. Yet remember that God Himself lives within us through the Holy Spirit. When we try to live life without tapping into our infinite resource, we end up chasing the wind.

Let's get practical for a moment:

For those who would be doctors, what good is it to save a man from sickness and see him healed, only to die later and spend an eternity in hell? What point is there in building computers so that people can have better communication, if they never hear about the importance of the soul's place in the hereafter? What good is it to build homes for families in this life, if in the next they will live in outer darkness? How pointless is it for a teacher to teach young men and women how to succeed in this life, if they fail the test in the next? If you become a famous musician, how futile is it to create music that makes them feel alive, and not share in truth that they are dead in sin? It is foolish to live a lifetime never tapping into our personal relationship with God and to never share the most valuable life saving information in the universe.

Chase your dreams and set your goals, but don't forget that the Author of dreams has a goal for you as well.

P.A.