At the age of twelve, Jesus presented His parents with a profound truth: He was engaged in His Father’s business (Luke 2:42-49). Even in youth, His focus transcended trivial distractions, revealing the essence of a life governed by divine principle. His example demonstrates that to live authentically is to align one’s existence with eternal purpose—a fulfillment attainable only through consistent application of Godly wisdom.
Every creature operates according to the inherent nature bestowed upon it. A crocodile does not strive to graze; a chicken does not attempt to swim like a duck. They follow their design with unwavering instinct, never pretending to be anything other than what they are. Humanity alone, fashioned in the image of God, received a different endowment: not just instinct, but conscience, knowledge, and the freedom to choose. This very freedom allows us to forget our design and pretend to be something we are not. It is why we struggle to emulate Christ, who lived entirely by the principles of God’s Kingdom, guided by a divine knowledge that our confusion has obscured.
We did not lack this knowledge originally; perhaps we have merely forgotten it. Being made in God’s image implies a capacity for the divine. Our unique freedom, absent in other species, is both our dignity and our dilemma. We can mimic any creature, manipulate creation, and yet be manipulated by the world’s fleeting interests. Dominion, as granted in Genesis 1:28, is not mere control but a sacred stewardship combining supreme freedom with solemn responsibility.
To navigate this responsibility and avoid self-destruction, we require sound reasoning. Yet our reasoning is easily corrupted by insatiable desires. Humanity has been adrift for ages, plagued by existential questions that, unanswered, lead to lives of quiet desperation. Our path clears only when we confront four fundamental inquiries:
- Why was I born?
- What is my purpose on this earth?
- How should I relate to my fellow human beings?
- How should I interact with the rest of creation?
The answers are not hidden. Jesus declared Himself the way, the truth, and the life. His story provides the definitive blueprint. Consider the first question: Why was I born? We find our answer by examining why He was born. He came as Savior for a broken humanity, calling us brothers. His birth in Bethlehem was an act of conscious mission. Similarly, though born of women, our ultimate origin is in God. To live as Jesus begins with this recognition: we are, first and foremost, God’s children.
This leads to the second question: What is my purpose? Jesus holds the authority to reveal our unique divine design. Our purpose is to serve the Giver of life—a calling not devised by our parents, but revealed by God. Embracing the gospel is the start, a path that may involve carrying our own cross, yet promises an easy yoke and a burden that is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Tragically, many live a borrowed life, mimicking others instead of pursuing their God-given identity. Our education systems often compound this error, prioritizing prestige over purpose. We produce graduates celebrated for outperforming peers, not for serving communities. The result is a society, and even its leaders, more concerned with titles like “Honourable” than with genuine, purposeful service.
This misalignment directly affects the third question: How should I treat others? Jesus provided stunning simplicity: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12, KJV). This is the heart of ethical living—empathy in action. A life lived this way generates authentic joy and community transformation, beginning in the smallest village and radiating outward.
Humanity is uniquely created with the freedom and conscience to choose its purpose, yet we often live in confusion, mimicking others or chasing worldly ambitions instead of our divine design. Jesus Christ provides the perfect model, demonstrating a life fully aligned with God’s principles from a young age. His existence answers our core existential questions: we were born as God’s children to serve a purpose He reveals, and we are called to treat others with the selfless empathy of the Golden Rule.
Finally, how should we relate to creation? While Jesus did not give detailed regulations, His actions underscore responsible stewardship. He cursed a fruitless fig tree as an object lesson, drove animals from the temple to prioritize worship, and multiplied loaves and fish to meet human need. He demonstrated that creation serves humanity’s God-given mission, and that our dominion is to be exercised with wisdom and selflessness, never with greedy exploitation. As we seek first God’s Kingdom, right relationship with all things follows (Matthew 6:33).
In the end, everything begins and ends with understanding why we were created. The material world we cling to—a possession, status, even our sustenance—is transient and secondary. Upon death, we leave it all behind. True reality is found in recognizing our identity as God’s children. Then, we realize a glorious paradox: nothing belongs to us, yet, as faithful stewards, everything is entrusted to us. Our sole calling is to live as Christ lived: focused, purposeful, and free, acting responsibly from the unshakable foundation of who we are in Him. In the final accounting, nothing matters more than the human soul, for whom Jesus gave His life.
Pursuing material possessions solely for physical survival was never humanity’s true purpose. That kind of thinking mirrors the instincts of other creatures, while humans are meant to prioritize enhancing others’ well-being over merely looking out for themselves. Living with purpose means understanding that our role in caring for creation is a responsibility, not just a privilege for personal gain.
While other species operate by fixed instinct, we are to exercise our freedom with wisdom and stewardship, using the material world not for selfish gain but to fulfill our higher calling. A life centered on impressing others or accumulating possessions is a distraction from this true vocation, as all temporal things fade in significance next to our eternal identity.
Ultimately, finding our purpose begins with seeking God’s Kingdom first, as Jesus taught. When we embrace our identity as His children, we gain clarity: nothing truly belongs to us, yet as faithful stewards, everything is entrusted to us for the greater good. The path to peace and meaningful existence lies not in answering every worldly question, but in following the living example of Christ, who showed that the essence of life is to know why you were born and to live accordingly.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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