THE GOAL OF HUMAN LIFE
MATTHEW 7:14 – But the gate is narrow, and the way is constricted, leading to life, and few find it.
This is a question everyone wonders about, though it often lies deep in the subconscious and is rarely spoken aloud. Everyone born into this world knows that aging and sickness are inevitable as their days and years pass. Yet, some accept this reality while others do not. Regardless, everyone must face and pass through the gate of death; no one can avoid it. Only two people in this world have ever escaped it: Enoch and Elijah. So, ultimately, what is the goal of human life? There are many answers, depending on each individual’s beliefs. But has anyone truly considered which answer is the most correct?
Many Christians can answer this question and immediately state the goal of human life. However, the next issue is whether that goal is easy to pursue or very difficult to achieve. If it were an easy goal, Christians could keep living as they are, with no need for concern or worry. But if Christians understand that the goal is difficult to attain, they must heed the warning the Lord Jesus proclaimed (Matthew 7:14). Did He speak those words to intimidate Christians, or to awaken them? If the goal were easy, would the Lord have portrayed it as being so difficult (Luke 9:23)?
If the goal of human life is DIFFICULT, just how difficult is it? Is there anything in this world challenging enough to compare to that difficulty? How did Paul understand and respond to this (1 Corinthians 9:27)? Or perhaps Paul’s faith was far inferior to that of Christians today—causing him to worry, whereas modern Christians need not concern themselves with such things? Could it be that Paul had not yet received enough of the Lord’s grace and thus lacked sufficient faith, while Christians today bask in such abundant grace that they can live at ease, without giving much thought to how to attain that goal? So, was Paul a man of weak faith—far weaker than Christians today—or are the Christians of this era being lulled into a spiritual slumber? The answer lies with each of us individually.