a recent conversation

a: your girlfriend is cool...what do you like about her?

b: a lot of things...that she is a christian and reads the bible for one and she's nice and sweet and cute and fun to be around and hang out with.

a: would you say she encourages you to read the bible and live as a christian?

b: yup definitely

a: here's a question...i want to get an idea of what people think about this: what would you say is the reason for living how God wants us to live? (and you can't say "so we go to heaven" or "so we don't go to hell")

b: Well i'm not sure...so we don't feel empty because without the bible and god and everything what's the point of life? and i guess its better for the world and people around you if we all did good and didn't do bad then it would be amazing...i'm not sure what the answer to that question is.

a: I think that's a pretty good answer. you basically said that without God there is no purpose to live. so what you're saying is that God gives purpose to live. what do you think that purpose is?

b: i'm not sure of that either to believe in God and follow Him to live your life serving others and do only good...???

a: let me ask it this way: do you believe God created you?

b: yes

a: and do you believe that he created you for a reason or for no reason?

b: for a reason i guess

a: So as God created you (and all of us) He had a purpose in mind. He had a reason for making us, an end goal. Jus as an artist begins to create a painting for a reason. why do artists create?

b: so they can observe and admire their work...???

a: YES! exactly. so they can get pleasure from their work. that's why i believe God created us: so He could observe and admire His work. He created us for His pleasure.

b: ok, so then, what's our purpose?

a: To please Him. to be a painting that He is satisfied with. AND think of this: what does an artist do with a painting he is pleased with?

b: shares it with others

a: Sure, he shares it with others. think of it like this: if God is the artist and we are the painting and we turn out like God wants us to (He wants to be pleased by us, He wants us to be beautiful paintings) then He is going to be pleased by us and put us on display in the art gallery. and if paintings could feel, i'm sure they'd be happier on the wall in the art gallery than in a back room waiting to be thrown away because the artist was not pleased by the painting. ...what i'm trying to say is that when we please God then He is pleased with us and put us in a place where we are also pleased. so everyone (both God and us) is pleased when we live how He wants us to live! (did all that make sense? :) )

b: yup, makes perfect sense...that's cool

a: I just kinda put those thoughts together right now. I've been reading a couple of books that talk about that but I've never really put it all together like that. thanks for letting me reason with you and think that all out :)

b: sure, thanks for doing it