So why do we do this Jesus thing? Why would we devote our lives to a man who was last seen alive more than 2,000 years ago, and to a God we cannot see? Everyone is going to live for something or someone. But why Jesus? What compels us to live radical, counter-cultural lives for His sake? These are fair questions, and ones to which every Christ-follower should have an answer.
We’ll dive into this a bit, but my immediate answer would be to respond as Peter did when Jesus asked if he would desert Him. Peter’s response? “Where else would I go (John 6:67-68)?”
If I didn’t follow Jesus, I would have to determine another purpose for my life. I have pursued, and continue to pursue, a number of endeavors in my life. Let’s take the most obvious example. I could determine the purpose of my life was to be a writer. Cool. I could spend every waking hour honing my craft and producing work I (and hopefully others) found entertaining, enlightening, and enjoyable. Eventually I would die; then what? On my death bed I would reflect and wonder what the purpose of it all was. Once I was gone, I’d eventually be forgotten, regardless of how successful I might have been. It all seems so pointless.
The same ending plays out no matter what endeavor I plug into the formula. Eventually we all die. One day we will face the end with the same questions of, “Was it worth it?” and “What now?” If there is no God and the end of this life is actually the end, it all seems so futile. There has to be a reason for our lives. I know some who don’t share my beliefs would disagree. They believe there is simply this life and nothing more. It just makes no sense to me.
Some say it’s harder to believe in Jesus than not to; I disagree. The life of Jesus, from His creation of the world to His coming to earth as a man, to the day He returns to put the world back in the order He originally designed, is the only plausible explanation for me. Sure, it’s fantastical. But so is every other option.
I know there’s a purpose for my life because everything within in me cries out for it every day. I am unfulfilled. I am compelled to make my life count for something larger than myself. Where do those feelings come from if they weren’t instilled by the One who designed and created me? Culture tells me to live selfishly, to get and achieve as much as I can. There’s something within me which knows that’s just wrong. From where do those feelings originate?
I do this Jesus thing because it’s the only logical thing for me to do. If Jesus was a liar and God doesn’t exist, I don’t have answers to anything, and nothing makes sense. I don’t have enough faith to buy the alternatives. I believe I’ve been created to make a difference in this world, to be a part of Christ’s mission to make the Kingdom of Heaven a reality here on earth. This will be accomplished someday; perhaps in my lifetime, perhaps not. But when it happens, I’ll know I had a part to play in this incredible story. That’s amazing! I believe Jesus died in my place. I believe He is the only way to eternal life with God. And I believe, as a result, I owe my life to Him. It’s why I do this Jesus thing. How about you?