What Separates Us from the Animal?
Jun. 16, 2023
What separates humans from animals and gives our lives purpose and meaning beyond our felt needs?
In this video, Jeffrey D. Johnson emphasizes the importance of understanding our chief purpose in life. He explains that what sets humans apart from animals is the fact that we live for something greater than ourselves and our immediate needs. While animals are focused on satisfying their immediate hunger, thirst, or discomfort, humans are designed to live for a purpose that extends beyond these temporal desires.
Johnson highlights the dissatisfaction that comes from solely living to fulfill our bodily appetites. Quoting from the Bible, he states that the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing. If we live solely for the momentary pleasures of the flesh, without considering tomorrow or eternity, we will ultimately find our lives empty and meaningless. God has not created us to live like beasts, but as His image bearers, destined to live for His glory. Living for God and His purposes brings true satisfaction, joy, purpose, and meaning to our lives.
As believers, we are called to prioritize the glory of God above our own personal enjoyment. By recognizing that our lives are made for His glory, we find true fulfillment. Our lives become meaningful and purposeful when they are aligned with the purpose for which we were created. It is in living for something greater than ourselves, in living as children of God and image bearers of the Creator, that we discover the satisfaction and joy we long for. When we place God's glory above our own enjoyment, we experience true enjoyment, contentment, and the fulfillment of our deepest desires.
Psalm 86:9 (NKJV) says, "All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name."