“Why was I born?” Before I knew the Lord, I asked that question multiple times. Life seemed unpredictably unfair. I wanted to know my purpose for being on this earth. The thought of living a meaningless life that would end in a cold dark grave frightened me. Surely, there had to be more to life! I discovered the answer when I met Jesus Christ at age 26. That night, I was reborn into His kingdom and found forgiveness, salvation, love, meaning, direction, and joy.
We were created for fellowship with God. After He created all things, He said, “Let us make mankind in Our image, in Our likeness…” “Then he blessed them and told them to be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Adam and Eve had intimacy, communion, perfect harmony, and fellowship with God and His creation.
There is true fellowship and there is misplaced fellowship with the world, governed by the flesh that refuses to submit to God and His law (Romans 8:7; James 4:4). God is light, and light cannot have fellowship with darkness: “…if we say we are His friend but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying.But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin” (I John 1:6-7 TLB).
Adam and Eve surrendered to Satan’s temptations. With lost innocence, they were aware of their nakedness and tried to hide from God. Interestingly, God extended mercy by making garments of skins to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). That was the first sacrifice made to cover sin and hence forth, the sacrifice of animals would be required until Christ became the sacrificial lamb.
As Christians who love and serve God, we are redeemed from the curse and are clothed in righteousness because of Jesus’ sacrifice made for us. We no longer need to be afraid of God and hide sin, because it is impossible to hide sin, for He says, “Be sure, your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV). And “there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light” (Luke 8:17).
God sees all and knows the most inner thoughts and heart of man. He even knows the decisions that we will make before we make them. King Solomon, the wisest man on earth, said this of God, “…for Thou, even Thou only, knows the hearts of all the children of men” (1 Kings 8:39).
God cautions us not to conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then we are be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
God’s instruction to Adam and Eve was for their protection. He knew that if they became aware of good and evil, it would destroy their innocence, security, joy, and trust in Him. They would be making decisions based on deceptive, carnal knowledge, just as they did when they decided to eat the forbidden fruit.
Until I met Jesus, I followed the world’s false narratives and believed ten lies:
Lie 1: “God doesn’t care about me!” Truth: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Lie 2: “If it feels good, do it.” Truth: …all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25 NLT). The result was inconsistency in following God, social disorder, sin, perversion, and rebellion. That mindset eventually results in disappointment, because what feels good for the moment may have negative, life-altering consequences.
Lie 3: “Strive for perfection.” Truth: My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Only God is perfect.
Lie 4: “Failure is not an option.” Truth: We learn from failures and mistakes. Retired Methodist minister, Clovis G. Chappell said, “It is better to make a thousand failures than to be too cowardly to undertake anything.” When Thomas Edison was asked about his 1,000 failures in creating the light bulb, he answered, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
Lie 5: “If I have_____ I will be happy.” Truth: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15).
Lie 6: “I’m too young to do that.” “I’m too old to do that.” Truth: If we are in the service of God, we are never too young or too old to do what He calls us to do for Him. For He is the one who gives us all that we need to accomplish His will.
Lie 7: “I will never overcome past mistakes.” Truth: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). With the right attitude, mistakes build character.
Lie 8: “Lying is okay if done for the right reason.” Truth: All liars will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” Revelation 21:8).
Lie 9: “This is too difficult for me.” Truth: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
Lie 10: “I will always be like this.” Truth: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:7)
God told the Prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. – Jeremiah 1:5 Before we were born, we were known and loved by God, for He formed us with His own hands, knit us together in our mother’s womb and appointed us for a special purpose. All the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:13-16).
Robert Frost wrote in The Road Not Taken, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” There are two roads to follow: Satan’s road leads to destruction; God’s road leads to life. Unfortunately, lovers of the world take the road most traveled because it is the most alluring. God’s road is less traveled because it does not appeal to the world.
Why was I born? Why were you born? We were born to love and serve God and follow the road less traveled, for that will make all the difference.
PRAYER: FATHER, thank you for loving me. It is beyond comprehension that my days were ordained and written in Your book before they ever came to be. Help me to obey You and follow Your “road less traveled” so that I may embrace the plans that You have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.