How to Live the Best Life Possible

Posted November 10, 2006

A commentary by Daniel Roy G. Macaraeg

When I was 20, two questions weighed heavily on my mind: "What is the purpose and meaning of life?" and "How can I live the best life possible?"

While reading one night, I stumbled upon a statement that I shall never forget: "Your life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once."

The realization was most powerful—I had only one life to live. There were many roads I could travel, but I didn't want to take just any road. I wanted to find the way—the way to the best life possible. What was that way?

I realized that one of the wisest things I could do was to invest time finding out what is the purpose of life in the first place! It only seemed reasonable and logical. What's the point of living if you don't know what life is for? I realized that many people were like me—clueless. Why do they do the things they do? Is it right? Why do they believe the things they believe? Are they true and correct? Many don't even care to ask these kinds of questions. What a waste of that one precious life.

Determined to find the answers, even if it took me the rest of my life, I was not interested in simply finding a purpose for living, but the purpose for human life on this earth: What's the whole point? Why are we here?

Dedicating my life to seek the answers to these two questions, I spent many days and nights in careful study and research. I acquired books, articles and other resources that would shed light on my questions. I was consumed with this topic. Spending more hours than I care to remember in libraries and bookstores, I read, thought, meditated, prayed and reflected. When a flash of insight came, I wrote it down in my journal. Slowly, a rock-solid foundation emerged.

What did I find? Our destiny is quite literally out of this world—the Kingdom of God (John 18:36)! Our greatest goal should be to enter and inherit this wonderful Kingdom (Matthew 6:33). But how? Listen to this precious nugget of wisdom: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all [our whole reason for being]" (Ecclesiastes 12:13, emphasis added). That's the way to get there. It's that simple—and that profound.

If only we would quit treating that verse as just a nice little quotation and actually do what it says! It's the ultimate in vertical thinking—building a strong relationship with God, the source of wisdom, life and every good thing we could possibly ask for. I totally believe that if you follow this piece of advice, you too can learn man's true purpose. To begin your own study of this important subject, please read, download or request the free booklet, What Is Your Destiny? What is more, you will live the best life possible—and it will be out of this world! VT