What is the purpose of your life’s journey?

The search for purpose in life is not as complex as one might originally think. I personally believe the answer to it is closer than you or I could imagine.

There is a new documentary film out right now in theatres hosted by the one and only, Ben Stein, called “Expelled.” It is creating some curiosity to the scientific study of the aged debate of evolution versus creation or intelligent design. Many brilliant minds on both sides of the issue have done their very best to make this fiery topic a battle of science versus religion.

Evolution theorists would say that religion cannot be associated with science; therefore they dismiss this debate entirely to the realm of science, thinking that intelligent design or creation is absolute absurdity.

Yet, their arguments appear to be rooted with religion as their main line of defense – they are bringing the argument in themselves.

Creationists would at least deduce to the reality of science as a part of creation, yet adhere to the fact that God created science and used it as a part of His creation process.

Now, I realize that opening such a hot topic on a public site such as inmaricopa.com in an opinion column appears to be begging for a debate. Nothing could be further than the truth. The last thing I like doing is creating controversy; that’s just not me. I don’t have the intelligence to debate such a topic anyway, so let’s clarify that from the beginning.

However, I have agreed to write a monthly column, so I thought I would do so with the idea of challenging readers to critically think on such topics that structurally and theologically influence what we refer to as life.

When I originally think of this particular topic, I view it as a part of the journey we are all on. It is a crossroads in which we all must take in life at some point, so I would hope that everyone in life would think long and hard about these types of highly influential directional points in their own lives.

Please believe me when I say that I am not looking for a debate, and most likely won’t respond to one issued. From what I know, an opinion column to be is exactly as it is stated, an opinion. I would hope that all opinions in my life and so stated in this particular article and future ones, would be formulated by rational thought, accumulated data and facts, and personally (for me)…what God has to say about it.

Again, that’s me.

To begin this search, I personally believe that one must come to a point in which they would have to acknowledge the possible realization that there could be something bigger out there than you or me. A higher being…a God perhaps? The last time I remember studying about evolution, it was presented as a theory, never established as fact. It was just a theory of how life evolved, never stating how life began.

To be fair to this discussion, I agree that creation is also viewed by man as a theory, only with more facts supporting it than those in opposition.

One of the most profound atheist’s and evolutionists today, Richard Dawkins, author of the best-selling book “The God Delusion,” had an interview with Stein, and it appears that he acknowledges the possibility of higher intelligence as the source of life.

Best-selling author Dinesh D’Souza in a review about the interview, notes that Dawkins admitted he had no idea how life began, conceding that for survival of the fittest to take place, an original cell had to first exist. How it got here, whether by alien transport or by intelligent design, he had no clue.

Now seriously, just for a moment – think about it. For this life to have purpose, there would have to be some source of higher being or intelligent design, even a God, perhaps? Bertrand Russell, a professing atheist, even stated, “Unless you assume a God, then the purpose of life is meaningless!”

This is where I would change the subject a bit and offer…if there is a God, then we have one of two choices – ignore him or pursue him. And that’s your choice.

I personally like what Rick Warren said in best in his best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” that “God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life you must turn to God’s Word (the Bible), not the world’s wisdom. You must build your life on eternal truths, not pop psychology, success-motivation, or inspirational stories.”

The Bible also talks about this in Ephesians 1:11 where it states “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”

Now this is where “religion” usually can complicate things. What many people believe “religion” to be today associates this “God” as someone who is impersonal, someone who cannot be reached or comprehended.

I personally believe that to be an inaccurate analogy of my God. The God in which I believe is real, appears to me as highly personal and He’s very much reachable!

One of my hypotheses I deduce every day is the simple ‘breath test’ – try it with me. Take a deep breath, … now exhale. Where did that come from?

Please don’t get technical on me and begin breaking down that oxygen levels divided by the carbon monoxide and hydrogen levels in the air, etc. If there is a God, He just allowed me to take another breath, and with that breath, it provides me with what I call life. It’s time granted to make more of a difference and provide more purpose to why I am here.

Without that breath, what do we have? Nothing, the last time I checked.

So I leave this thought with you today as you continue on your Journey, every day you awake, take a breath and enjoy life.

Josh Barrett is the lead pastor of The Church of Celebration in Maricopa.

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