The Purpose of Existence

Why are we here?  The simple answer is to become Godlike: to grow and evolve toward Deity perfection by living divinely.   

And to live divinely means to live the will of God.  A life dedicated to the living the Father’s will is one predicated on truth, sensitive to beauty, and dominated by goodness.

But how do we get there?  Quite simply, through experience.

The more we experience, the more we learn and grow.  Any experience we walk away from with at least one lesson learned is positive and worthwhile.  If we learn more than one thing, it’s a resounding success.  What’s more, it’s nearly impossible to have any experience in which we don’t learn at least one thing.  And the more trying the experience, the more impact the lesson.

Truly, we don’t learn much when ensconced in situations of contentment and leisure.  It is conflict which helps us grow.

Think of the most compelling books and films you know.  No doubt all feature a hero who must endure trials and tribulations in order to achieve his or her goal.  Why do we stay engaged for hundreds of pages or several hours in a theater?  Conflict.  And what is conflict but experience lived vicariously through the character on the page?  Will the hero survive?  Will he or she achieve his goal and make it through to fight another day?   

How many of us would devote the time and energy to reading a book or sitting through a film where the main character started out happy and remained happy and contented throughout the course of the story?  B-O-R-I-N-G.  Without conflict, there is no story.

Experience is the greatest of all teachers.  The facts you learn in school aren’t nearly as important as the experience of the learning itself.  I honestly couldn’t tell you one fact I learned in high school or college.  I do remember the experiences, however.  More importantly, school taught me how to learn – how to open my mind to possibilities, to alternate viewpoints, to get along in society and coexist with others.   

Facts come and go; experiences last forever. 

So don’t shun your experiences.  Embrace each one as a gift sent you by the Father to enrich your life, teach you something new, grant you fresh perspective, or temper you for a challenge you will face down the road.  Don’t spend your time wishing you were someplace else; you’ll miss all that’s in front of you right now.  Act with courage.  Be the hero of your own story.  Live your purpose.