One day God looked out over the earth and decided to make people. So God created males and females. God wanted people to have children, govern the animals and take care of the earth. At first everything was perfect. But, you know how we are; the man and the woman God created had freedom of choice. Like us they decided to do what seemed good to them and broke the one rule God had given. They ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Once humans knew evil they lost sight of why they were here. They tried to hide from God. But because God loved them, he forgave them. However, the relationship between them and God changed. It was broken.

 

So what does that have to do with why you are here? You too are like God. You have thoughts, feelings, and the desire to be in relationship. You are also like the first people. You can choose to do wrong. That does not change the reason that God put you here. You are here to represent God. God is love. You are here to experience and share the love of God. First you are to love God, and then you are to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

 

Now these can be hard things to do. Loving yourself means accepting everything about you the good, bad, beautiful, and the ugly. Loving your neighbor requires that you do the same for them—that is you have to love their good, bad, beautiful and ugly. Loving God means spending time with God, getting to know God better, and doing what God expects.

 

One problem, not one of us is perfect. We do not always do what God expects and we certainly do not always act lovingly. We feel guilty, fearful, worry, and incomplete when we do wrong. Doing wrong causes us to lose connection with God. God cannot stand to be around wicked/unloving people. God created people to multiply and take care of the earth. God did not create people to do evil. Since God does not want everybody to die, God sent Jesus. Jesus gladly takes the fall (the punishment) for us.  

 

Which brings me to the second reason you are here. You are here to accept the precious gift that God gave you. It is the gift of Jesus. This gift allows you to become a member of God’s family. After you join the family, you will live forever because God lives forever.

 

When you accept the gift of Jesus you discover another reason you are here. You are here to have a prosperous life full of love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, faith, hope, self-control, and patience.  This all comes because of the gift of Jesus, the gift that God brought you here to receive.