Purpose and meaning in life?

At the beginning of each semester, I ask my students the question, "What is the goal in your life? What would you like to do after you are done with your education?" An overwhelming answer to this question is: "I want to make a lot of money and be happy." Coming from mostly business students, this answer is expected, but I am still troubled by the premise of the answer (that money can make us happy). Of course, we need a certain level of material comfort to be happy, as Woody Allen said, "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." Still, I'd like my students to see beyond this material world.

Come to think of it, I was one of these students who valued money highly in life when I was a college student. I grew up in poverty and my goal in college was to get a good job and establish myself financially. But this value system of mine was changed dramatically when I met my Lord through the Bible studies with a man of God.

In Mark's Gospel chapter 1, we meet a man named Simon Peter who had the same kind take on life as my students. He worked hard as a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee. Every night he and his companions fought against the strong wind to catch fish to earn his living. He had no hope and vision beyond earning three meals a day. But Jesus came to him and gave him a new purpose and meaning in life. Mark 1:16-17 read: As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus invited Peter and his brother Andrew to come and follow him. Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus’ plan was to raise them as spiritual leaders. These men had been following fish at night. They worked hard to make money. When they caught many fish, they were happy. But sometimes they worked all night but caught nothing. In times like that, they sighed a lot about their life. They had no true meaning in such life. Money couldn’t be their purpose in life. They knew better. So when Jesus called them to follow the Messiah instead, they made a decision of faith to become disciples of Jesus. At once they followed Jesus.

Mark 1:17 has a special meaning in my life. When I first became a Christian, my idea of being a Christian was to study the Bible and attend the church on Sundays and not much else. But God helped me to realize that he has a purpose in my life. He called me to be a fisher of men, based on Mark 1:17. When I studied this part of Mark’s gospel, I began to visualize the life of Peter and John at that time. I could see the similarity between their struggles on the sea every night and my own struggle to make a living. In fact, even before Jesus reached out his merciful hand to me, I was beginning to see the pointless struggle of many people. So I decided to turn down a job offer in my senior year in college. It was a tire manufacturing company, which later transformed itself into a giant conglomerate in Korea. I decided to go to a grad school instead. But this in itself did not provide a clear direction or purpose in life. It was only after Jesus came to my life that I could see things in perspective. So I made a decision to follow Jesus too. And now I am struggling to be a fisher of men for Jesus, that is to study the word of God with young people so that they may also see beyond the false promises of materialsim. This mission defines clearly the purpose and meaning in life.

~ DYL