Anyone who seeks happiness in this world for the sake of peace and comfort in life will inevitably end up betraying God. God has placed a hollow space—a void in the human soul—that must be filled. The question is: will it be filled with God or with other things? If a person becomes accustomed to filling that emptiness with worldly matters, they will no longer have any thirst for God. That leads to destruction. Humanity was created with a “key” or “bond,” made dependent, so that without God, man cannot live. Human beings will always need God. Even if mankind had never fallen into sin, they would still need Him.
We study the Word so that our thirst for God may be awakened and cultivated, until the world can no longer drown us. Until, at last, we can say, “The Lord is my very life.” But this runs counter to the principle of the world. The world teaches that the most precious treasure is family. Yet in truth, the most precious treasure is not family—it is God. When God becomes the greatest treasure in our lives, only then will our families be saved. But if family becomes our ultimate treasure, their salvation is not guaranteed. In fact, we may lose them forever.
This is why parents must truly fear God, so that their children may also be influenced. That is the most valuable inheritance. When children only inherit wealth and money, their parents are, in fact, destroying them. And later, they too will destroy their own children in the same way. We must change our way of thinking through the teachings of Jesus. If we confess faith in Him, we must recognize this truth, live in it, and practice it. Don’t be reckless! That is just selfishness. We may think we are loving our families by indulging them so that they will be happy, but in reality, we are leading them to ruin.
The most precious treasure is God. The priceless pearl is God, not anyone else. Therefore, we must place God in the right place. To do this, one must learn the truth so that knowledge of God will be sufficient. When our understanding of truth is acceptable, we will come to know God rightly. Through this knowledge of God, a person will discover the true purpose of life.
Discovering life’s purpose is not merely a definition, but an experience that grips the whole soul, and this is what transforms our life’s desires. Our thirst is no longer for the world but for God. The void in our souls can only be filled by Him. When this happens, we will delight in God almost like being “addicted” to Him, until the world no longer attracts us. Yet this is not simple—it takes struggle! If someone prefers leisure and travel over worship, or is busier with family matters but neglects prayer, the Bible, and God’s Word—that is terrifying.
We must, of course, fulfill our responsibilities toward our families. Otherwise, we are no different from those who do not know God. But we must not go to extremes, becoming consumed with family matters while neglecting our part toward God. Yes, we are all sinners. However, first, we must leave behind our old way of life and make a change. Second, we must set our hearts toward the new heaven and new earth. Third, we must take responsibility for caring for our bodies, working diligently and faithfully to earn a living, for there are other families, too, that we must support. We must learn from the small matters of daily life.
The value of our soul is more precious than all the wealth in the universe, and this is the beauty of life: we are allowed to offer our portion back to God. Surely each person has small “projects” entrusted by Him—perhaps a niece or nephew, a neighbor, or anyone else. It doesn’t always have to be in church, though the church must also receive a portion, since it is the center of ministry to help many people. Let us not allow the beauty of this world to drown us, causing us to fail in becoming children of God who are worthy to be glorified together with Him.