Meaning, purpose, and identity. These three words have baffled human minds since the dawn of time. For millennia, philosophers, scholars, and experts have debated the purpose of mankind’s existence. In fact, at some point in every person’s life, everyone embarks on a philosophical journey to pursue the meaning of life. In reality, the answer is simple. Life without Jesus is meaningless. Living a Christian life that glorifies God provides a pathway to true happiness, a key to unlock success, and a guaranteed roadmap for the safest approach to life.
Most people have the objective of finding felicity, but only through living a Christ-centered life can a person attain happiness on Earth and more importantly, eternal joy in the afterlife. According to a Harvard article, Good Genes are Nice, but Joy is Better by Liz Mineo, the secret to a satisfied and healthy life is close relationships. Research by Harvard psychiatry professor Robert Waldinger suggests that longevity has a stronger correlation with the quality of a person’s relationships than with the individual’s genetics. In other words, love is the most powerful influence on happiness. The Bible proclaims this as well. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul emphasizes that love is the most important attribute. The Bible also instructs Christians to build loyal relationships with friends and family. Furthermore, 1 John 1:3 and Romans 8:35 state that no matter the circumstance, Christians can always go back to a merciful, caring, and loving Father who desires a relationship with each of His children. Therefore, living a Christ-oriented life puts a person in position to be happy on Earth. To further validate this point, Are Happiness and Life Satisfaction Different Across Religious Groups? Exploring Determinants of Happiness and Life Satisfaction, an academic article by psychology expert Dr. Kayonda Hubert Ngamaba, evaluated nine religions and concluded that Protestants had the highest happiness rating. Although the research also mentions that non-Christians can find happiness too, it fails to explain that non-believers will never attain eternal jubilation in heaven. John 3:16 outlines that the only way to heaven, a kingdom of everlasting joy, is to believe that Jesus has died for humanity’s sin. Those who place their faith otherwise will end up in hell, a place of eternal suffering. In short, an unbeliever who had the merriest time on this planet will still have to suffer forever after physical death. Hence, devoting oneself to a Christian lifestyle can bring about an enjoyable experience on Earth and everlasting happiness in heaven.
While committing to a Christian life leads to better wellbeing, it also lays the blueprint for a successful career. The Bible instructs Christians about attributes that align with characteristics of successful individuals such as hard work, humility, and perseverance. For example, Lebron James (world’s most decorated basketball player) told cleveland.com that “You have to put in the work if you expect to improve your game,” and emphasized the significance of a disciplined work ethic. Similarly, Proverbs 14:23 highlights the causation between hardwork and success. Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, pointed out the importance of humility in a CNBC interview. Likewise, Matthew 20:16 states “the last will be first, and the first will be last,” specifying the relationship between flourishing and humility. Barack Obama, former president of the United States, advised Chicago students that resilience in times of failure is monumental for success. Likewise, James 1:12 affirms that perseverance in hardships is momentous. Consequently, a Christian who abides by God’s law lives a fruitful life.
Despite the benefits that a Christian lifestyle brings, there is a valid question that Christianity’s critics raise: How can one prove the authenticity of Christianity? Unfortunately, one cannot. Accepting God’s salvation requires faith. No evidence absolutely proves God’s existence, nor any proof that certainly guarantees Christianity as a gimmick. However, the same can be said about all worldviews, so to be fair, one could assume that all the major religions and worldviews have an equal probability of being the one real truth. Even then, it is still best to believe in Christianity. In James Franklin’s book Pascal’s Wager and the Origins of Decisions Theory, Franklin explains that Pascal’s Wager is a bet that claims choosing to believe in God’s existence is the safest investment to a person’s life. According to an article from the World Economic Forum, These are all the world’s major religions in one map, Buddhism, Islam, atheism, Hinduism, and Christianity compose of 88.1 percent of humanitiy’s beliefs. Both Buddhism and Hinduism offer reincarnation after death, so even if one of those religions was the ultimate truth, a Chrstian can still amend any mistakes in the second life. If atheism was true, a Christian would not suffer any detrimental punishment in an afterlife for believing in a false reality. As for Islam, chapter 10:27 in the Qur’an states, “For those who do good deeds, there shall be the best reward and yet more blessings,” describing the key to paradise as good deeds. Additionally, the Qur’an never explicitly states that Christians will fall into eternal suffering. Therefore, if the Islamic belief is real, a Christian still has a chance to avoid hell as long as the individual has done enough righteous works (something Christians should naturally do). Conversely, the single way to enter heaven according to Christianity is to believe in Jesus Christ’s act of salvation before death. Regardless of how upright a person’s actions were, an individual of another belief is bound to eternal damnation. Thus, Pascal said, “Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He (God) exists.” Clearly, Christianity is the safest route.
While Christianity could be fake, it is undeniable that choosing to live a lifestyle that honors God is still the most outstanding option because doing so guarantees ultimate joy, provides the tools for success, and ensures the safest possibility in eternity.
Works Cited
Alexander, Harriet. “Barack Obama Tells Chicago Students ‘Failure Is Terrible but Sometimes Necessary’ in First Speech Since Stepping Down as President.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 24 Apr. 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/24/barack-obama-returns-fray-chicago-first-speech-since-stepping/.
Franklin, James. Pascal’s Wager and the Origins of Decision Theory: Decision-Making by Real Decision-Makers. Cambridge University Press, 2018. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1017/9781316850398.
Haynes, Chris. “LeBron on His and Teammates’ Work Ethic.” Cleveland.com, Advance Ohio, 14 Feb. 2016, http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2016/02/lebron_james_on_work_ethic_sus.html.
Jacobs, Frank. “These Are All the World’s Major Religions in One Map.” World Economic Forum, Big Think, 26 Mar. 2019, http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/this-is-the-best-and-simplest-world-map-of-religions/.
Mineo, Liz. “Over Nearly 80 Years, Harvard Study Has Been Showing How to Live a Healthy and Happy Life.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 26 Nov. 2018, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/.
Ngamaba, Kayonda Hubert, and Debbie Soni. Are Happiness and Life Satisfaction Different Across Religious Groups? Exploring Determinants of Happiness and Life Satisfaction. 2017. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10943-017-0481-2.
Sher’ Alī, Maulawī. The Holy Qur’an Arabic Text and English Translation. Islam International Publication Limited, 2015
Scipioni, Jade. “How Billionaire Bill Gates Says He Keeps His Ego in Check.” CNBC, CNBC, 12 Nov. 2019, http://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/12/bill-gates-on-what-keeps-him-grounded-and-humble.html.
The Holy Bible New International Version. Vol. 7, The Worldwide Bible Society Ltd, 2011.
Works Cited (for pictures)
Balestri, Avellina. “Gambling for Eternity: An Analysis of the Apologetic’s Argument of ‘Pascal’s Wager’ ” Catholic Insight.” Catholic Insight, 12 June 2017, catholicinsight.com/gambling-for-eternity-an-analysis-of-the-apologetics-argument-of-pascals-wager/.
Nba. “Report: Lakers Plan to Start LeBron James at Point Guard This Season.” NBA.com, NBA.com, 8 July 2019, http://www.nba.com/article/2019/07/08/report-lebron-james-point-guard-los-angeles-lakers.
“What Makes a Good Life? Robert Waldinger Has Three Lessons for You.” BigSpeak Motivational Speakers Bureau: Keynote Speakers, Business Speakers and Celebrity Speakers, 12 Feb. 2020, http://www.bigspeak.com/makes-good-life-robert-waldinger-three-lessons/.
Reflection: Writing this research project brought me back to the research project that I had do in seventh grade. This was the first time I had done a paper with substantial research in a few years. When brainstorming for this piece, I wanted to justify why Christianity is the best belief to choose even if you’re not a Christian, which I think I have done pretty well. However, I believe I did not really explain why I believed in Christianity. This is because the whole piece comes from a self-centered perspective (you should believe in Christ because doing so will reap benefits). In reality, I believe in Jesus because I have had miraculous experiences, realised that I am never good enough, and have seen enough evidence in the real world that points towards Christianity. Perhaps I should have a wrote my paper on that.
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