Something to live for

After his children were taken away and his partner died, Peter told me “I’ve got nothing to live for at the moment”. He was struggling with severe grief and loss and faced defending himself in Court as he sought access to his children. Peter couldn’t sleep at night and was losing weight because he wasn’t eating much. He felt guilty and was battling wanting to die. He also said “You’ve got to find something to live for”.

Stephen Hawking said that his engagement to Jane Wilde “gave me something to live for”. His biographers said that this was a major turning point in his life, which enabled him to break out of his depression and made him determined to live despite his disability. But their relationship ended after 21 years of marriage.

Although it’s good to have reasons to live for (like our children and partners), the Bible says that the two main purposes of life are to know the true God and to serve Him. We are here to have a close relationship with the God who created the universe and this is only possible through trusting in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

While our relationships with family and friends can be great reasons to live, they can also break down. As God is the only One who is always reliable, let’s live for Him.

For more on this topic see:
What’s the purpose of life?
What are we here for?
Why Jesus was sent

Written, March 2015