What Is Love?

The following article is Lesson 3 from my book, Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual:

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Superheroes, having the correct understanding of what is good and right, are full of love, and they are compelled to act out from love. This is the only reason we can distinguish the hero from the villain. Spider-Man doesn’t save a falling person from splatting on the ground because he hates the person he saves, right? The superhero saves someone from danger/death because he/she has love for the person he/she is saving. In stark contrast, the villain performs acts of evil, not love. Again, evil is merely a privation of what is good; hatred is a privation or lack of love. It is written in James 2:8 that we are doing right by living a life of love toward others. But what is love? 

Love is not something we can have or hold like materialists would like us to believe. Not everything in life can be boiled down to materialism. Think about it: Can you describe the physical features of love or even the thought about love? How much does love weigh? Of what is the love molecule comprised? There is no infinity stone of love we can possess that can be contained in a gauntlet. In fact, of all the infinity stones Thanos (from the Avengers) had been able to collect that provided him with seemingly unlimited power and ability, it is evident that he lacked love, and that is why he had no qualms about murdering half of the created creatures in the universe—including his own daughter! In fact, Thanos had to sacrifice love in order to be able to obtain one of the infinity stones. Ultimately, Thanos traded love for power because he could not possess both. 

But what is love? And why do humans possess the capability to love? If love is not a material that can be weighed, or measured, how are humans able to possess love? How do we even know that love exists? Does love exist? We know that love exists—not because humans have defined the term—but because the Creator provided the definition of love and humans live by that defined divine design. 

Think about this: Oxygen—the air we breathe—exists whether humanity believes in it or not. In fact, oxygen exists even if humans call it something else. Humanity never created or invented oxygen; we merely discovered it. Likewise, love exists whether humanity believes love exists or not. Love exists even if humans call it something else. In fact, the definition of love is so confused by many humans because they believe it to be something it is not. Many people misuse the word love when they are actually referring to something else that love is not. And this is why it is important that the word love be clearly defined. 

(1 John 4:7–8, NLT)
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

(1 John 4:19, ESV)
“We love because he first loved us.”

Scripture makes sense. If GOD is love, then we would love because GOD first loved us because GOD created us. We are able to love because GOD is love and we are from GOD. If love is GOD, then we must know who GOD is so we can better understand what love is. So who is GOD? We will examine that in detail in Lesson 32, but for now suffice it to say that GOD is love and the absolute moral standard and therefore provides the definition of love (which we will soon examine and define). But we can also better understand love by examining what love is not. 

Love Is Not An Emotion 

Many people in the world claim that love is an emotion, but that simply isn’t true. Love affects our emotions and even causes us to produce emotions within us, but love is not an emotion in and of itself. You may claim that you can feel as if someone loves you, but love is not a feeling. 

Love Is Not Sexual Intercourse 

It is unwise to confuse sex for love and love for sex. Sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; however, love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. A person can have sex with another person simply for the pleasure all while possessing no love for that individual. Examples of this, of course, is prostitution or rape. Such acts of sexual intercourse are meaningless because there is no love in the act of sex. That kind of sex serves a selfish purpose, but has no ultimate meaning. And of course, sex isn’t necessary for love to exist, to be relevant and be meaningful (I will expound upon this later when I define love). Now sex may be found in one of the definitions of love (Eros—I’ll get to this soon), but Eros is within the definition of love; love is ultimately selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. A distorted desire is often misconstrued, mistaken as love. It is unwise to confuse lust for love. 

Even if love is not an emotion, a feeling, or even the act of sexual intercourse, does it matter if love can be clearly defined? If so, why does it matter? Consider what is written: 

(1 Corin. 13:1–3, NLT)
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

The definition of love matters because GOD is love and GOD created us in His image (Gen. 1:27). For without GOD, love would not matter because life would ultimately be meaningless and purposeless. And if we are to be loving beings, it is important that we understand the definition of love. 

What Is Love? 

(1 Corin. 13:4–8, NLT)
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”

Love Is an Action 

Though it is not specifically and solely the act of sexual intercourse, love is definitely an action; it is something we do. Read verses 4–7 again and take notice of the fourteen different active descriptions the Holy Spirit (via Paul) uses to define love (patience, kindness, etc.). It’s important to note that this is not Paul’s definition of love, but the definition of love written by Paul while he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Love Is a Choice 

The fourteen active descriptions are actions that we choose to do or not to do. There’s a nonsensical saying that states, “You can’t help who you love.” But yes—you can! We get to decide if we love and who we will love if we decide to love. And this is because we have free will (discussed in Lesson 41). 

Also, there’s a saying that states, “I fell in love.” It sounds so romantic, but this is also nonsense. Love is not a hole or trapdoor we can fall in. You don’t fall in love any more than you fall out of love. Love is a choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love. People do not fall in love; people decide to love. People do, however, fall into the trapdoor of lust. When people talk about love at first sight, what they really mean is lust at first sight. Now is it possible to possess love for someone at first sight? General love? Yes. Complete love? No. Love in the sense that you want the best for someone? Yes. Love in the sense that you desire the best for someone despite all his/her flaws and mistakes? No. It’s not possible to love someone so deeply at first sight because you wouldn’t know the flaws and mistakes associated with the person. And how is it possible to truly love someone unless you love despite the flaws and mistakes? 

Love, in a nutshell, is the good you will show toward someone and/or others. It’s treating someone else with the qualities described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Take the Supreme Superhero (Jesus) as an example (after all, the Savior is the definition of love and the ultimate example of love): 

(John 15:12–13, NLT)
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

However, the Supreme Superhero goes even further by commanding us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43–48). And then the Savior did exactly that—Jesus went out and laid down His life for us by dying on the cross as our atoning sacrifice while being mocked, spat on, beaten, lacerated, and murdered by those who hated Him for no good reason. Love is caring more for others than for self because love is selfless. Love is sacrificial. Love is unconditional. 

Love Defined 

Unlike the English language, which uses the one word of love ambiguously, the ancient Greek language used different words to define the one word of love so that people wouldn’t be confused as to which definition of love should be inferred. Examine the four following words and their associated definitions: 

• Storge/stergo—This is a familial love such as the love of a parent toward offspring and vice versa. Devotion can be a key word associated with this type of love.

• Phileo—This love is companionable and relational. It means brotherly/sisterly love or friendship. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible with each other.

• Eros—This is the word for sexual or romantic love. In fact, this is where we get the word erotic. This word implies a sexual demand. And because it is unwise to confuse lust for love, it is imperative that we not confuse lust for Eros. The passion and intimacy of Eros is to be confined within the covenant bond between husband and wife, as was designed by the Designer. Lust is only about the pelvic thrust, to seek pleasure and fulfill a selfish desire. Lust is committed only to fulfilling a distorted desire whereas love (eros) is committed to fulfilling the needs of the partner within the covenant union. Therefore, be wise: pursue love and reject thoughts produced from the lustful lair of the Liar—they are lies created in the cave of the contemptible con artist and Counterfeiter, the Salesman that is Satan. Don’t buy the lies. Even a lustful look is adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:28). Money can’t buy you love. And no—that’s actually not from the Beatles—it’s from the Song of Solomon 8:7.

• Agape—This is the highest and deepest level of love. This is the ultimate love and is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. This is the love of GOD. This is the type of love all superheroes should possess. 

(1 Pet. 4:8, NLT)
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love covers a multitude of sins? Is that true? Yes! In fact, that is exactly what Jesus did for us:

(Rom. 5:6–8, NLT)
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

For love, compassion is the key and empathy is everything: 

(Luke 23:34, NLT)
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus is able to see us as His precious people, not a pervasive problem such as a plague. The Savior sees us as eternal beings, not mortal enemies. The Supreme Superhero sees us as family who belong in His heavenly home, not failures to be flung in the fiery furnace. Hell is where evil belongs and will ultimately be quarantined, but GOD doesn’t desire for us to go to that awful place. In fact, the Lord desires for everyone to be saved and doesn’t take any delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:21–23; 33:11; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). 

Jesus is our awesome, ardent advocate who absorbed for us the penalty of sin. Apostle Paul assists us by providing an important reminder that helps us put people into proper perspective: 

(Eph. 6:12, NLT)
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

It is of the utmost importance that all superheroes remember this: we are to hate evil/sin, but we are to love people. 

Conclusion 

1. Love never fails. 

(Song of Sol. 8:7, NLT)
“Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.”

2. Love perfects us. 

(1 John 4:12–18, NLT)
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

3. Love is supreme. 

(1 Corin. 13:13, NLT)
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

Reflection 

If you want to be a superhero, you must possess love and choose to love others. A superhero can only be a superhero if the hero first and foremost possesses love for others. Do you possess love for others? If not, you resemble a villain. But wait—is that a fair statement? Consider the words of the Supreme Superhero:

(Matt. 12:30, ESV)
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

The late and great Martin Luther King Jr. once posed a powerful question to the clergymen of Alabama in his renowned letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He asked, “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” 

And that’s not a fallacy of false dilemma—if we’re not loving others, then…we’re not loving people. Therefore, I implore everyone to examine the motives and intentions of each and every choice/decision you make. Are you able to recognize good from bad? Right from wrong? Are you living a life of love or hate? For if you’re not living a life of love, what are you doing and what is your life? I choose to live an extreme life of love (not lust), and I urge you to do the same. Don’t scatter. Be a gatherer. Ironically, the best way to be a gatherer of people is to scatter seeds of love. How many seeds of love can you sow today? 

So ask yourself, do you love others? From where did you get this desire to love? Do you feel compelled to act out from love? If so, why do you think that is? All superheroes possess love for people. If you love people, then you possess one of the qualities of a superhero and you just might be one someday! 

Ecclesiastes?

I received an email from someone asking for help understanding something in the Bible. Because it might also help whoever happens to read this, this article is my response I sent to him:

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Hi Luis! Thank you for the email! 

You wrote, “I’m having some trouble understanding Ecclesiastes 9:1-10.” 

To eliminate your confusion regarding Ecclesiastes 9:1-10, you must first understand the book as a whole. The subject of this book is the meaning of life; it investigates the validity of the common quest to find meaning in life. We should not expect to find meaning in this life by seeking self-fulfillment; instead, we should pursue a GOD-centered life. We must adjust our expectations accordingly. By lowering expectations to this life of worldly things, we can increase our contentment and hope for what is to come. The author of the book of Ecclesiastes is listed only as the Hebrew “Qoheleth,” meaning the convener, collector, assembler, or preacher. The Hebrew word is related to the term for “assembly” (Hb. qahal) and may be a title for someone who addresses an assembly (hence it is often translated “Preacher”). Most scholars believe it is not a name, but a title. The author writes honestly about the emptiness of life and how life is ultimately pointless; however, the point is that life is pointless without GOD. Under the sun? Or under Heaven? Of this accidental world? Or by design, not of this world? Only GOD gives meaning; GOD provides purpose; meaning and purpose do not exist apart from GOD. Without GOD, there is only secular humanism; secular humanism is ultimately nihilistic; with nihilism, happiness is God; however, happiness is meaningless without purpose. If pursuit of happiness is the purpose, how can the humanist pursuing happiness have any right to say what is right? Is the drug addict or rapist not pursuing his/her own pleasure or happiness? Not only is secular humanism ultimately nihilistic, but it is ultimately morally relativistic. Moral relativism is absolutely absurd. Without GOD, I have already experienced all that life has to offer and death is the only experience that remains. And it all amounts to nothing. In fact, this is the recurring theme within this book: all is vanity. But that word vanity is a translation of the Hebrew word “hebel,” which refers concretely to a mist, vapor or breath; it means something meaningless or purposeless, just as a vapor quickly appears and then vanishes. A vapor is not something you can grasp and hold onto. What is happiness when happiness is purposeless? What is the meaning to life? Everything leads back to GOD. The author claims that wisdom ultimately comes from the “one Shepherd” (12:11), i.e., from GOD (Genesis 48:15; Psalm 23:1; 28:9; 80:1). The theme of Ecclesiastes is the necessity of fearing GOD in a fallen, and therefore frequently confusing and frustrating, world. Thus, the author’s skepticism and negative speech is for the purpose of demonstrating the futility of those who are godless. All in all, life is hard, but life is meaningless and purposeless without GOD; only in GOD is there meaning and purpose. 

So, after understanding the book as a whole, we are able to better understand how it appears in sections. Examine this example:

• The importance of fearing GOD (8:10-13)
• The limits of human knowledge (8:14-17)
• The unpredictability of life and certainty of death (9:1-6)
• Finding enjoyment as circumstances allow (9:7-10)
• More on the unpredictability of life (9:11-12)

And now let’s examine the specific section you are having trouble understanding (9:1-10). 

Essentially, 9:1-3 is stating the same message that Matthew 5:45 states in that “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” And this message is what you see in Matthew 7:24-27 with the parable of two people building on two different foundations. So, essentially, this is saying that GOD does not show partiality and He provides everyone with life and what they need in order to come to Him for salvation. And this message can be seen in multiple scriptures: Deuteronomy 10:17; 2Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; 1Peter 1:17.

And then 9:4-10 essentially says that you can have hope so long as you are alive. The dead have no hope. But we know from the rest of Scripture that the dead are the wicked and those who are truly alive are the children of GOD. In verse 8, it states that our garments should be white. Well, from the rest of Scripture in the Bible we know that white garments represent those who enter the Kingdom of GOD and have been purified and made clean or holy (Revelation 3:5; 7:9). And in 9:10 when the author tells us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,” we see the same message in one of Paul’s letters:

(Colossians 3:17)

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

(Colossians 3:23-25)

“23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.”

Conclusion:

Scripture always interprets Scripture. First, we must know what the Bible says as a whole. And then we need to know what each book says as a whole. And then we need to break it down into sections, and then examine every word. Therefore, what we should learn from this book is just as it is written:

(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

“13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

 

GOD will judge everyone and everything everyone has done. Nothing will be hidden (Matthew 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2-3). And Matthew 10:26-39 informs us that it is the LORD we need to seek— it is only in Him we will discover our purpose and find fulfillment. 

The Pursuit of Happiness

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If you’d rather read this message, I provided the words below…

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A woman asked me, “Are you happy doing what you’re doing in life?”

I answered her question with a question: “Should what I do be based upon a feeling of happiness?”

The woman replied, “You should be happy doing whatever it is you find yourself doing.”

I said, “I am perturbed by the pursuit of happiness and I don’t believe it is relevant to purpose. I believe purpose is more meaningful than happiness.”

Before you accuse me of being negative, allow me to explain my position, for it will ultimately end in love. What is someone pursuing when that person is pursuing happiness? Is the pursuit of happiness a noble pursuit? Is it possible that it’s actually cowardice? Does a person truly deserve to be happy at all times? Should pain and suffering always be avoided? Can purpose be found through pain and suffering? What is the ultimate goal of the pursuit of happiness?

Comedy stems from reality; it originates from truth. People laugh when they are able to relate to the root of the reference. Comedy is created with a hope of being able to cope, to make light of the darkness we experience. Even knowing the truth, most people will laugh and choose to cope. Now examine the reality from which the coping was created. It’s sad because it’s true. Humans are very versed in coping with the worst. Be careful of what you prioritize to first. Humans are often coerced into traveling head first in reverse to the conjured cope of hope that is cursed. Simply because humans resist facing their fears and overcoming obstacles. All hail happiness, right? Happiness will be our guide and lead us to victory, right? If it makes you happy, do it. …Right? …You better be certain you’re right; otherwise, what’s left?

Happiness. …I had to ponder on that concept for a long time.

As if listening to cult members repeating the words of their instructor, I have heard many different people recite the same mantra: “If it makes you happy, do it.”

Even my own mother had told me many times, “I want you to do what will make you happy.”

It is possible to have good intentions yet travel in the wrong direction. Is a path based on happiness a wise route to travel? Can it be wise unless it’s right? Is the pursuit of happiness right?

I believe that ‘happy’ is merely a term used to describe a temporary feeling that one receives when one gets a break from the sad reality of life. In this sin-filled and fallen world in which we all live, sadness is the constant of life; only when one is able to rise above the sea level of sadness does one experience the feeling known as happiness. I would relate happiness to the feeling one gets when finally inhaling oxygen after being held under water to the point of nearly drowning; happiness is merely a breath of fresh air from our stagnant society in which people suffocate in their sufferings. It seems that happiness is merely a discontinuity from misery, only enjoyable and desirable by comparison.

Can I be honest with you? Will you allow me to expound upon my thoughts? Can you refrain from your judgement about me until you have read everything I have to write? The truth is that I can’t seem to figure out how to obtain that feeling of happiness for an extended period of time; happiness only seems to exist in short bursts between the extended drudgeries of life’s normalcy. But unless happiness is the purpose of life, does it matter if it is the constant? I would say no — it doesn’t matter if happiness is the constant. Happiness is chocolate cake. Can you imagine what everyone would look like if chocolate cake were the constant? Happiness seems to be correlated to feelings; however, feelings can be misleading. Even a drug addict receives the short burst of happiness after getting a temporary fix; even a cheating wife/husband receives the short burst of happiness while sinning against his/her spouse with another happy-driven individual. For if happiness is the purpose of existence, what can be labeled as right or wrong? How can it possibly be wrong to do drugs if it brings the user/abuser happiness? How can cheating on your husband/wife be considered wrong if it brought about happiness?

What is the pursuit of happiness? The pursuit of happiness is nothing more than the pursuit of pleasure. Happiness simply cannot be the purpose of life. Happiness only fulfills mere moments, but always leaves people grasping for more. Too many people trade purpose for pleasure. So, what then? What is my purpose? I am not convinced that my happiness is of any importance to this world or my own purpose. Is there a purpose? Why am I here? Why do I exist?

Happiness must not be the focus point in our journey through this life. Happiness seems to be unconcerned with the purpose of others; in addition, happiness seems to be so self-centered that the intensely focused approach to obtaining happiness seems to be unconcerned even with one’s own purpose. The pursuit of happiness can be dangerous and sometimes deadly. I have reason to be wary of a smile or a laugh because there’s no telling from where the smile or laughter originated; after all, I have seen evil people smile and laugh before. Haven’t I? Evil is real, isn’t it? What is real?

Solipsism breeds sin; therefore, happiness warrants caution and invokes question of motivation and intention. I often observe that the pursuit of happiness for self often produces negative consequences for others around that particular happy-driven individual. And if happiness and purpose aren’t analogous, what purpose does happiness serve? But why do we possess the innate ability to feel happiness if happiness serves no purpose? So, then there must be a purpose for happiness. What is the purpose of happiness? To keep us going? To show us that ultimate happiness is possible? Is happiness the ultimate goal in which we should all strive to achieve? When? In this lifetime? Certainly not. I want to be happy, but I don’t know how to be happy and remain happy at all times. It’s simply not possible – especially if you allow yourself to feel the pain of others. Happiness is not the constant. When I do manage to obtain that feeling of happiness, I am unable to keep it without also keeping a selfish focus on myself. My happiness starts to dissipate once I start thinking of others’ pain and suffering. I sometimes even feel guilty for possessing happiness when so many other people in this world live in misery and despair. What’s so special about me? Why should I be happy? Should happiness be a constant in my life when so many people are suffering in this world? Why is there suffering? But why do we exist at all? Why does it matter? Does it matter? What is important? The only thing that seems important to me at this time is knowing the Truth. I exist. I need to know why I exist. You exist. Don’t you want to know why you exist? What is the meaning of life? What is your purpose for being alive? Why is there life at all when there doesn’t need to be?

Life is quite complicated and [to be honest] I don’t care much for it most of the time. Please allow me to bring clarity to what I just wrote: I like life as [I believe] it should be experienced, but I hate the life that humans have distorted and disfigured in order to accommodate their arrogant, atrocious and abhorrent agendas. One example of an atrocious agenda is the abhorrent act of abortion. Why are we willingly murdering babies and snuffing out life? Just so a woman can be fulfill her pursuit of happiness?  I don’t understand life as it is in its current state, only as it should be experienced; therefore, I am an outcast, imprisoned in a free yet fallen world.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the more knowledge I acquire, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. I am aware that I could obtain the feeling of happiness more often than I currently do; however, I am aware that I would be obtaining that feeling of happiness at the expense of others. I am aware that much of the misery I feel is self-inflicted because I choose to feel and care so deeply for others; however, I believe that the alternative of harvesting happiness at the expense of others would not be fulfilling — hunting happiness is an endless endeavor, and an unfulfilling endeavor at that. A human hunting happiness is like a cheetah hunting a gazelle; the amount of effort and energy used to catch the prize will only replenish the effort and energy that was used to obtain the prize. Happiness produces no gain; the most happiness can do is help one sustain. The cycle never ends; the replenishment is always short-lived. All batteries must either be recharged or die. A human continues to recharge the ‘battery’ of his/her body until the body can no longer sustain the charge necessary to produce the movement which is necessary to sustain life. I hate the hunt; I am tired and irritated by the body’s weakness and dependency upon its seemingly everlasting soul to recharge it for another redundant day. There is a soul, isn’t there? If I am merely matter in motion, what does anything matter at all? There is no good reason why anything should exist at all. But we do. Why? To experience happiness? Certainly life is not so superficial.

What produces happiness anyway? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs asserts that basic needs must be met before happiness can ever be achieved. I believe that one’s definition of success produces happiness. But how does one define success? Fame? Fortune? Fornication? Family? Fortitude? For many people, money equates to success because money eliminates the worry or anxiety over basic needs; furthermore, money aids one’s desire to obtain happiness, to seek pleasure.

Both those who are ignorant and those who are people-pleasers desire to promote the promise of paradise in a passionate proclamation of love and equality for all — a fairytale happy ending for all who choose to believe! But that doesn’t coincide with reality. And if a belief does not coincide with reality, it cannot be true. Belief does not prevent grief; in fact, my belief has brought me to grief many times.

Earth is seemingly overpopulated and the only way to rise to the top is to pull others down while climbing up. That’s the way of the world. There is much wisdom to be found in life by simply examining nature. Nature is pure, raw, mechanical, and typically uncorrupted by influence. Nature doesn’t try to call attention to itself and doesn’t attempt to be anything it is not. If there is an occurrence in nature, it happens by ‘divine’ order — it was destined to happen. In order to win the prize of the female, male blue whales try to push each other down, and if necessary, with intent to drown — the most aggressive male wins the prize (ends up with the female). Take your pick: hippopotamus, silverback gorilla or even a lion — the most aggressive male will dominate and receive whatever prize it desires. Within nature, the dominance hierarchy declares that losers are inevitable. There are winners and there are losers. Sink or swim. Fight or flight. Kill or be killed. That is life in its current state in this sin-filled and fallen world. Therefore, the notion that humans will coexist and live in peace is wishful thinking — so long as life exists in this current state, there will always be competition to live and reason to die. Pain and suffering are inevitable. Why? Because people will pursue pleasure. So, is that the real reason so many humans pursue happiness? To escape pain and suffering? Is that a noble pursuit? Is it possible it is cowardice?

Humans are just as primitive as animals and resort to the same primal instincts: we dress to impress, dance to advance, we strut and flaunt, we even kill to get what we want. But more so than animals, humans dig deeper into the expanse of evil because we conjure lies and concoct plans in order to appease our carnality; the demonic deeds of humans are often premeditated. Well, I despise the desire to bring others down just so I can be on top. I refuse to allow my body to be a flagitious factory that will produce misery for others all for the selfish sake of my happiness. I am convinced that the purpose of my existence has little or nothing to do with my happiness.

It is true that I am unhappy a lot of the time, but it’s not because of a lack of joy. I have joy within. Joy and happiness are not one and the same. I’m unhappy a lot of the time because I have refused to allow the superficial to sway my selections or settlements; I have refused to allow demons to desensitize me and detour me from righteous decisions; I have refused to be plagued by promises of power; I have refused to allow my ethics to be eroded or my morals to be manipulated; I have refused to allow my hero to be anyone other than He who is Holy. I refuse to allow my eternal soul to be misguided by temporary temptations of damning desires. And by living as such, I have become calloused to the ways of this world. For a long time now, I have not felt temptation’s incessant tapping and I have not been persuaded by pain nor pleasure regardless of how persistent the pain or promising the pleasure. Am I impervious to evil’s invasions? No. Evil’s attacks are present and are evident by the persistent pain I experience. But my armor is thick and my threshold for pain is high. I simply choose not to be directed by the ways of this world.

If you can be honest with yourself, you will agree that in general, our society is superficial; our culture is corrupt. I feel as though I don’t fit in anywhere; I feel like I don’t belong anywhere; I’m seemingly surrounded yet feel incisively isolated. But I am a piece to the puzzle of life and I do belong somewhere even if I don’t know where I belong. I may not be a cornerstone, but I am of the Creator and a component of the calling. And if GOD won’t extract me from this execrable Earth, I will be forced to endure until I get interlocked into my predetermined place within life’s puzzle and fulfill my purpose. But while I exist, is happiness a goal in which I should strive to achieve? Or is happiness merely a covetous concept that will distract me from achieving my purpose? Also, how can the purified form of happiness be harvested in a world so impure? The very idea of me being happy creates conflict within myself, rendering any brief moment of happiness obsolete.

My mother desires me to do whatever makes me happy; my father desires me to climb to the top. If I do whatever makes me happy, my actions will most certainly produce misery for at least a few people. Though my mother would be happy knowing that I finally found happiness, would either of my parents be proud to know of the method to which my happiness was achieved? And what would the ramifications of my actions be in regards to many others? Others matter, don’t they? Others are important, aren’t they? To what degree? To what extent? Only so long as they don’t take away from your happiness? Think: if you were to get everything you ever wanted and fulfilled your every desire in order to be happy, how many people would not have their desires fulfilled? A quick example of this is the scenario of sexual relations. Let’s suppose you pursue pleasure and receive happiness from having sex with someone you’re physically attracted to yet that person was not physically attracted to you. Well, you would be happy, but would that other person?

Can you even fathom what would become of this world if everyone set their focus on obtaining happiness for self? A pursuit of happiness is self-centered; in addition, the pursuit may lack purpose. Like the term, ‘fun,’ happiness is also subjective when put into proper perspective. The pursuit of purpose, however, will ultimately lead to joy. Happiness can always be found when fulfilling purpose, even if the discovery is not immediate. I must not risk my purpose by chasing the white rabbit of happiness down its black hole of absence. And though my arduous adventure to achieve my purpose may cause me to be unhappy a lot of the time, I will eventually discover happiness once my purpose is fulfilled. When that day comes, I will discover even more happiness as I notice that my happiness and fulfilled purpose continue to bring happiness to others. For the only way to obtain happiness and keep it is to help others obtain it. I choose purpose over pleasure because the promise of pleasure can be found in the pursuit of purpose. I choose a purpose-driven life. Hmm…. But what is my purpose? My purpose is to make life better for others by helping them to understand that they were created for a purpose beyond what they currently see and experience. We do not exist to merely exist. Are you merely existing or are you truly living? Purpose cannot be experienced if the heart and mind are numbed and medicated by happiness. Happiness is a drug that prevents potential. The person stuck in the pursuit of happiness is a sleepwalking citizen who is unable to experience growth through pain and suffering. If one is to pursue happiness, it should not be for self. If the purpose of your life was to make your own life better, you wouldn’t be surrounded by so many other people. Your life is not your own and your happiness has little or nothing to do with your purpose.

Do you know why you exist? Do you know the meaning of life? Do you know your purpose? If you knew your Creator, you would know why you exist. 

To know why I became a Christian, see my other article, “My Testimony: from Agnosticism, to Atheism, to Christianity“

[Suggestion: read “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For”, by Rick Warren]

What Is Your Why?

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If you would prefer to read this message, I have provided the words below:

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Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why am I doing this?!” It’s important to know why we’re doing what we’re doing. What is your ‘why’? Why do you do what you do? Every hero and superhero has a reason as to why they do what they do. 

“We knew our enemies’ intent was to intimidate us into stopping our work. They reasoned, “These Jews will stop rebuilding out of fear and discouragement. Progress will grind to a halt.” Instead I renewed my dedication, strengthened my hands.”
(Nehemiah 6:9) -Voice

Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and his enemies were trying to stop him from completing his work. However, Nehemiah pressed on and finished his goal. Why?

What is your ultimate goal in life? What is your purpose? If you don’t have one, you need one. Without a purpose, a person will walk about aimlessly and that person might as well be a zombie. If you are currently striving to achieve your ultimate goal in life, you are currently fulfilling what you believe to be your purpose.

With every goal, there are three essential parts you need to know:

• You need to know what you’re doing.
• You need to know how you’re doing it.
• You need to know why you’re doing it.

Many people know what they are doing and even how they are doing what they are doing, but they don’t fully comprehend why they do what they do. Do you know why you do what you do? You need to know the ‘why’ if you are to stay your way. If you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, you won’t be easily persuaded not to do it because you’ll know why it is important to keep doing it.

If you are striving to achieve a goal, you will ultimately be battling against opposition in order to achieve your goal. You will not simply achieve your goal by declaring that you desire to achieve your goal. Can a person win a race without putting forth the effort to achieve the goal? Can a person build a wall without putting forth the effort to achieve the goal?

In the Bible, Nehemiah decided to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. What did he do? He was rebuilding the walls. How was he doing it? He was using materials and resources in order to rebuild the walls. But why was he rebuilding the walls? Nehemiah decided to rebuild the walls because they had been destroyed for about 70 years. He decided to rebuild the walls because the walls represented power and protection to the city of Jerusalem. The walls were needed in order to protect the city from attack and to ensure the continuity of worship. Nehemiah had left a responsible position in the Persian government in order to fulfill his calling. He did what he did because he knew why he needed to do it. Furthermore, people tried to prevent the work from being completed by insulting him, ridiculing him, threatening him, and even sabotaging his work. However, Nehemiah persisted and prevailed. Why? Because he knew why he was doing what he was doing!

Who or what are you battling against and why are you in that battle? What oppositions are you facing and why?

“Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
(Isaiah 64:8); (Jeremiah 18:6) -NLT

We are the clay. Ponder on that for a moment. Clay must go through a lot in order to become the full potential of pottery. In the process of formation, clay might feel like it is being drowned due to all the water that is used to shape it. On the spinning wheel where it is being shaped, the clay probably feels dizzy or disoriented and unsure of its direction and purpose. It may feel like a lump of purposeless clay just going ‘round and ‘round. Clay also shrinks in both the drying and the firing processes. It is important for clay to dry slowly so that the sculpted piece can dry evenly so as to avoid cracking or being warped. The clay only becomes hardened and increases strength after intense heat for a certain amount of time. If you were the clay, you might believe that all the formation, time spent alone while drying, and the intense heat were punishments or that it was all abuse. However, with a mere change in perspective, it is easy to see that it was all necessary in order for the clay to become the strong, sculpted, beautiful and useful piece of pottery. The entire process was done out of love in order to make the clay into something better than it had been originally.

“For you, the righteous God, look deep within the hearts of men and examine all their motives and their thoughts.”
(Psalm 7:9) -TLB

“You get us ready for life: you probe for our soft spots, you knock off our rough edges.”
(Psalm 7:9) -MSG

Why would GOD probe for our soft spots? Because the soft spots are our weaknesses. GOD wants us to be aware of our weaknesses so that we can work on those areas and strengthen them.

When you want to grow muscle (grow being the word of focus), you must first tear the muscle you desire to grow, and then it will grow back thicker and stronger. Each time you tear your muscles, they grow back stronger than they were before. The same goes for our spiritual muscles — the more hardships we endure and overcome, the stronger we become in our walk with GOD.

[If you find yourself asking why GOD would allow pain and suffering, see my other article: Why Does GOD Allow Pain And Suffering? ]

GOD examines our hearts and our minds. The Message states, “You get us ready for life.”

Life here on Earth is merely training for the real life that is ahead of us on the New Earth under the new heavens. Training in the army is tough, right? But do the soldiers complain and cry to the drill sergeant, “Why?! Take it easy on me!”?

No! The soldiers are tough, they endure, and they don’t ask why they go through training. Why don’t they ask why? Because they already know why — they understand what it is they are fighting for! The soldiers do what they do to ensure a better life for all of us; the soldiers fight for freedom. Should a solider commit to a battle without first knowing why the battle must be won? Why would anyone fight in a war if he/she doesn’t know why he/she is fighting in that war?

When we comprehend why we do what we do, we obtain the confidence necessary to continue on even through the most difficult of times. We [Christians] need to be tough and endure in life and understand what/who it is we are fighting for. We are fighting for souls to be saved! We are fighting for the freedom of others! We do what we do in hopes of leading the lost back Home. We make the sacrifices that we make in hopes of creating joy. Why do we do what we do? We do what we do in order to make life better and to give hope to the hopeless. We are to encourage those without dreams to dream again. We are to combat sadness with joy. We are to help the lost to find their way and get saved. We are to expose the lies and reveal Truth.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:21) -NKJV

“You were chosen to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to live under the power of sin. Instead, serve one another in love.”
(Galatians 5:13) -NIRV

Soldiers fight to ensure freedom. We are soldiers of the heavenly Kingdom! True freedom is having the ability and opportunity to use our free will for ourselves, yet we choose to use our free will in order to help others. That freedom is liberating! The pain we go through in our ‘boot camp training’ is well worth it in the end. No pain? No gain! It is uncomfortable to get our soft spots probed, but we will grow stronger by addressing and overcoming our weaknesses. It hurts to get our rough edges scraped away, but it shapes us and forms us into better people.

The Message says, “you knock off our rough edges.” When we get too bold, too arrogant, GOD takes us down to where we need to be. GOD desires to make us well-rounded people. However, that’s only possible if we allow GOD to work within our lives.

Are you soft or getting soft? Is there any pain you are holding back? Are there any fears that you are refusing to face? Are you holding onto something or someone that is dragging you down? Are you resisting GOD probing your soft spots? Are you struggling to keep those rough edges so that you won’t feel weak? Are you complaining during your time of drying? Are you complaining about your process through the fire? Do you want to grow? Do you want to avoid being cracked and/or warped? Do you want to be stronger? Do you want to be well-rounded?

If you want to grow, I challenge you to welcome the probing of your soft spots. I challenge you to welcome GOD to scrape away your rough edges, to sand you down smoothly. I challenge you to welcome the fire (tests and trials) that will harden and strengthen you. Understand this: GOD loves you the way you are, but GOD loves you too much to let you remain as you are. GOD desires to bring out the amazing potential within you and see you at your best. In order to reach your full potential, you need to grow. In order to be your best, you must endure all the tests. To be able to endure life’s tests and trials, you need to know why you do what you do.

I once read a news article about a man who ran into a burning building in order to save a little girl who was trapped inside. Prior to the man running inside, he heard a bystander shout to him that he should not enter the building because he could lose his own life. It didn’t matter. No — it didn’t matter because the man knew why he had to do what he was doing. The power of his ‘why’ conquered all doubt and fear and enabled him to do what he would not have done otherwise. The man’s ‘why’ was the life of a little girl and the potential of her future. It no longer mattered to the man how he was going to accomplish his task — the man knew what he had to do and why. (Here is a similar news story.)

Your ‘why’ will launch you into your ‘what’ even if you don’t know ‘how’ to accomplish the ‘what.’ That is the power of the ‘why.’ Once you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, nothing will be able to prevent you from doing what you need to do. Do you know your ‘why’? What is your ultimate goal in life? Why? What is your battle? Why must your battle be won?

My ultimate goal in life is to lead as many people as I can to the Lord. Why? Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Light (John 8:12; 14:6). I want everyone to experience life in the light of Truth because that’s where true joy is found. Many people have wondered why I set aside my own desires in order to keep helping people and sharing Jesus with them. I have set aside my pursuit for happiness because I love people and desire to see them pursue purpose. I don’t always know how I’m going to do this; in fact, I frequently launch into my ‘what’ without knowing the ‘how’ simply because I am propelled by my ‘why.’ 

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, I invite you to accept Him into your life right now. If you want to know my story – why I became a Christian, see my other article, “My Testimony: from Agnosticism, to Atheism, to Christianity“.

Don’t confuse the pursuit of happiness as being your purpose. You were created for a purpose. So, why do you do what you do? May you seek the Lord and discover your ‘why’.

Here’s why I do what I do:

Ministry Stats
(January 2017 — February 2019)
2,397 unique visitors = about 3 people per day
3,415 views = 1,018 extra views from initial contact
58 countries:

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Canada
4. Australia
5. Ireland
6. Finland
7. Germany
8. Netherlands
9. India
10. France
11. Nigeria
12. South Africa
13. Egypt
14. Singapore
15. Spain
16. Trinidad & Tobago
17. Philippines 
18. Turkey
19. Sweden
20. Belgium
21. Jamaica 
22. Tanzania
23. New Zealand
24. Kuwait
25. United Arab Emirates
26. Greece
27. Israel
28. Japan
29. Poland
30. Ghana
31. Argentina
32. Malaysia
33. Indonesia
34. Denmark
35. Italy
36. Hong Kong SAR China
37. Qatar
38. Brazil
39. Vietnam
40. Switzerland
41. Bangladesh
42. Guam
43. Romania
44. Taiwan
45. Mexico
46. Pakistan
47. Dominican Republic
48. South Korea
49. Thailand
50. Puerto Rico
51. Swaziland
52. Panama
53. Liberia
54. Barbados
55. Norway
56. Uzbekistan
57. Uganda
58. Slovenia

It absolutely blows my mind to know that I have been able to touch every area colored on the map (58 countries)! Who am I?! I’m just one person. But that’s the point! Every person matters! Even if I only reach one person per day, I could potentially lead thousands of people into the Kingdom! Even one person per day is worth it! May you remember that the next time you encounter a person who is difficult to deal with. GOD loves that person. And who knows who that person can become in Christ and how many people that person will be able to affect. I’m sowing seeds. I may not ever get to see the fruit in this lifetime, but I look forward to the Day when the Lord shows me the fruit I never knew existed. Think: The colored areas on the map is only the areas I know about – there might be more! What if one of those people accepted Jesus and ended up planting a church in one of those areas? Everything we do matters and every single person matters. They are my ‘why.’ You are my ‘why.’ 

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
(Galatians 6:9) -NLT