Why Were We Created?

Imagine a perfect world. The oceans, the trees, the animals - no sin. Yes, the Garden of Eden. Now add humans to the picture. Throw in some free will, temptation, and sin, and that picture takes a turn from its previous perfection.

This past week, I was approached by someone who began to ask me questions about the Bible: about creation, about who I thought Jesus to be, about Jesus' second coming, and much more. I had answers. Some of the answers came in the moment from the Holy Spirit, and for that I'm grateful (and amazed because that's the first time I've experienced something like that).

One of the questions she asked me that particularly stood out to me was the question that is the title of this bog post:

Why were we created?

I'm sure this is a question that you yourself have probably asked at some point in your life. But you and she are not the first people to ask this question. In Psalm 8:3-5, even David questions "When I consider your heavens, / the work of your fingers, / the moon and the stars, / which you have set in place, / what is mankind that you are mindful of them, / human beings that you care for them? / You have made them a little lower than the angels / and crowned them with glory and honor." 

She gave some context by stating that this question is even more valid if I believe that God is all-knowing and in complete control. He knew before he created humans that we would mess up - that we would fall - but still, He created us and gave us free will on top of that. (I'll have to touch on free will a little later because that's a whole other topic within itself.) She also told me later that she had asked this question as a trick. But enough with that - what was the answer that I gave? 

It was one word. One word that I expanded upon, but one word that can hold its own weight. One word that God spent an entire year teaching me about. One word that means so much more to me know than it did when I began my college years at the University of Georgia. One word that caused me to look at the world around me a little differently. One word that is linked to a little yellow flower and a powerful revelation.

Relationship.

That's why we were created - for relationship with Him: Him as our Father and us as His kids. He Himself is the epitome of relationship: a triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, living in a state of constant community. 

One thing that a lot of people believe, regarding this question, is that we were created to glorify Him. Yes, we are made in His image. Yes, He is enthroned on the praises of His people. But before He created humans, he had hundreds of thousands of angels in Heaven whose sole job and purpose was and is to glorify Him and sing His praises. So, to put it very bluntly - He didn't need us. He wanted us.

We were created out of His immense and vast love. So much so that He came down to Earth to bridge the gap between God and man that we ourselves created in the first place. 

And while we're alive, we not only have the wonderful opportunity for relationship with our Creator, but we also should embrace relationship with fellow creation. We are unique and have been designed by love Himself - in His image. We should take full advantage of the chance that we have been given.

We should. But what keeps us from doing it? For me, if I'm being honest, it's fear. I'd like to think that I'm not afraid of anything - that I have the ability to do anything. But that statement just isn't true in myself. But, there's hope, because perfect love casts out all fear. And if we were created in love by love Himself, then I think it's valid to say that there is no fear when we are fully in Him. I think another thing that may keep us from pursuing relationship is comparison. I'm going to talk about this is another later post entitled, "The Culture of Comparison," but for now, know that it's real, and it's a huge issue in society today. Social anxiety (could maybe be grouped under fear but) is another hindrance to relationship. And the list could go on and on.

But if we focus on the reasons why we can't do something or on why we feel we aren't adequate in something, we're missing it. Sure, it's important to acknowledge issues and problems in situations, but what's more important is to fix our eyes. If we set our eyes on perfect love and remember why we were created, nothing else will matter.