Luke 7:29-30 NIV “(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)” https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.7.29-30.NIV

Everyone wants purpose and meaning in their lives. We are created by God with this homing device within us calling out to Him to reveal to us why we are here and what we are to do. The first answer to this question is to know Him and have a right relationship with Him as our Creator Father, as our God and Lord. We are to love Him and obey Him in order to glorify Him on earth as He is in heaven. We too often answer the purpose question with a task instead of with a relationship, which is how we are made and the purpose for which we were created. Our vocation is to pay for our occupation and help others do the same, which is to know God and obey His commands through Jesus the Savior and Lord. The foolish people in Luke understood this and acknowledged the wisdom and righteousness of God. The smart ones, the religious leaders, rejected their purpose, missing true meaning for their lives, because they rejected God’s ways for being reconciled to Him so that they could live in a right relationship with Him. This is the common malady of most. They reject God’s ways, seeking instead meaning and significance from what they do or what they have. In the end, they find life meaningless, empty, insignificant, and discouraging. Humility is necessary for entering into a life of joy, peace, and restoration with God. It is an acknowledgment that His ways are best, right, and only for living as we were created. If we want true meaning and purpose, significance, and peace, we must humble ourselves before Jesus and invite Him into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior so that we can know Him and love Him always, even as we grow in our experience of His love and joy for us always.