The „ultimate questions“ for humanists are probably similar to those of religious believers. These are questions of meaning and existence: Why are we here? What happens to us when we die? Why is there so much suffering? Is there a God? How do we know what is right? The answers to these questions may be surprising, but they will help you find peace within yourself. Whenever I talk about gospel-oriented pastoral care, I am talking about what I call 8 ultimate questions of life. From time to time, I am asked, „Why don`t you call them 8 Ultimate Life Answers?“ Michael Horton answers this question in his beautiful book The Gospel-Driven Life by stating that we usually present the Bible as „the answer to life`s questions.“ This is where the Bible becomes relevant to people „where they are“ in their experience. As a result, it is often said that we must apply the scriptures to daily life. But that`s calling the Bible too late, as if we already know what „life“ or „daily life“ means. The problem is not only that we lack the right answers, but we don`t even have the right questions until God presents us with His interpretation of reality. Not only is the world wrong in its answers, but the world`s questions are impoverished. The word not only gets the right answers, but the questions of the word are rich, robust, and relevant. Is it a new thought for you that the world has not only stupid answers, but also superficial questions? If so, what impact could this awareness have on your life and ministry? Here`s my tweet-sized summary of implications for getting both the correct questions and answers: To offer wise and loving biblical guidance, we need to ask and answer gospel-centered Bible questions. [Add tweet link] So, at the end of the day, we have to accept that there will always be those things that we will never understand or will never understand.
Yes, it can be frustrating. But if we allow it, accepting the unknown reality can reveal to us a sense of peace and openness to others and their ideas. Humanists have several options when thinking about ultimate questions: Do you see how rich and robust the question of the word is? And to what extent is the question of the word real, raw and relevant? The world asks abstract questions about truth – philosophical truth. The Word asks questions and provides the ultimate source of wisdom for life—how broken people wisely live in a broken world. Humanists answer questions of personal identity – „Who am I?“ – in a rather pragmatic, empirical way. Each is a unique blend of genetic influences (some immediate, of parents and family, and others very old, part of the common human heritage) and environment (education, culture, education – all external influences on us). Humanists also think that we have a lot in common because we are all human beings living in human societies and tend to turn to psychology, social psychology, anthropology and evolutionary psychologists for answers to questions about human nature. So let`s compare the 8 questions of the ultimate life of the world with the 8 questions of ultimate life of the Bible – to see that the world does not even ask the questions correctly! How do you biblically answer life`s 8 ultimate questions? Your outer reality consists of religion, culture, education, ancestry, family traditions, and groups of friends. All of these external factors combine to create the unique individual you are now and eventually become. The question of the world focuses on human personal effort – the very definition of secular thought.
It`s about me and my self-sufficiency efforts to be a „better me“ in my power for my good. So again, what is the meaning of life? The answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer for everyone. The idea is that you connect your outer and inner reality, accept the unknown and unlock the purpose of your life. Your personality, skills, goals, and desires are what will ultimately act as a compass to help you find that. Have you ever thought about the ultimate question. What is the meaning of life? The world answers its wrong question with a wrong answer. „I do the things I do because of others – it`s my spouse`s fault, my boss`s fault, my parents` fault.“ Or, „I do the things I do because of my feelings – they`re out of control, out of my control. Or, „I do the things I do because of my body – I need better medication because my physical brain is the ultimate source of my soul problems. This may sound like a strange question, but it`s actually one of the most important questions you can ask yourself.
So what is the meaning of life? Or, more precisely, why do we exist? Paul answers this ultimate question of life in Romans 1:7: „Loved by the Father and called to be holy.“ We are beloved sons/daughters and purified saints – that`s who we are because we are! For a humanist, it can be problematic to speak of the „ultimate“. Humanists ask this kind of question because they are thoughtful people and because thinking about these questions is part of determining who they are and how they live. However, many „ultimate questions“ do not seem very sensitive to the usual humanistic tools of thought of proof and reason; On the other hand, religious responses are absolutely not convincing to humanists. We all want to know, „What`s the point?“ „What is our goal?“ The world asks itself these questions in a vacuum. The mice that initially controlled earth needed to say something for their 5D cat show. For this reason, they tried to form a few possible questions as they prepared to take Arthur`s brain, such as the following: The worldview of the question of final meaning begins with a superficial question and answers with an even more superficial answer, „To be a better self.“ There are only now. Because yes, we will eventually die. Nothing lasts forever. So every day is a gift. Every day is a blessing. Every day is a new chance to have meaning in your life.
Every day, you can make a difference in the way you live your life. The word raises the question of fate by knowing the answer and connecting our future to our present in a relevant way. As Christians, our future destiny is with God on a new heaven and earth where we have intimacy with God, purity in our hearts and victory in our lives. Since this is true, the Bible exhorts us to live today in the light of eternity. As saints struggling with suffering and sin, our future makes all the difference in our lives now. „With strong motivation, you will feel energetic, focused and happy. You will have a strong sense of direction and purpose, as well as the feeling that you are heading towards your ideal future. If obstacles stand in your way, you will gladly find ways to eliminate or get around them. You can make a difference. You can leave something behind (maybe a legacy). Or you could make the decision to be part of something bigger! Yes, we are all miracles. As Dr.
Ali Binazir says: And for those of us who claim to be pious believers in one of the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), our religious belief plays an important role in how we feel that the purpose of our life is directed. The relationship with God/Allah is closely related to what our „divine purpose/intention“ is in life when it comes to using the „talents“ or „gifts“ provided to us by God/Allah and using these determined forces to help others in our lives and how we treat our family, friends and strangers. – Beth Elkassih I don`t know about you, but for me I`ve often thought about this question. Why do I live here on this great planet today? But once you understand what life really is, you`ll be able to understand how to live a more meaningful and happier life. In Hindu cultures, dharma is known as the „good way of life“ and the „path of justice.“ .