THE WAY OF HAPPINESS - The Purpose in Life

PLASMA SCIENTIST DR. HUABI  YIN. Huabi Yin studied physics, and for many years, she did research on plasma.  Considered the fourth state of matter, plasma (as in sun) is composed largely of electrons and positive eons. 

"Whenever we scientists stud natural phenomena," says Huabi, "we always find a high degree of order, which is a result of precise laws. 'How did these laws arise?' I wondered.  'If a simple cooking fire must be carefully controlled, who is responsible for the laws that regulate the sun?  In time, I concluded that the first statement in the Bible is the most original answer: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." -Genesis 1:1.

Science to be sure, has shed light on many "how" questions, such as: How do brain cells work?  And how does the sun generate heat and light?  But as Alexei and Huabi discovered, the Bible answers the more important "why" questions: Why does the universe exist?  Why is it governed by laws?  And why do we exist?

Regarding the earth, the Bible says: [God] did not create it simply for nothing but it to be inhabited."  (Isaiah 45:18)  Yes, God has a purpose for the earth, and the next article will show, that purpose is closely related to our hope for the future. 

KEY POINTS

'God did not create the earth simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited.' -Isaiah 45:18.

"We need something to live for" 

"To keep alive and mentally healthy we need something to live for," wrote William MCDougall,  a professor of psychology.  In a similar vein, Carol Ryff, also a professor of psychology, said that people whose "lives have purpose show widespread health benefits-they have reduced risk for cognitive  [mental] impairment . . . , reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, better recover profiles from stroke . . . and, relatedly, the live longer.

Next time: THE WAY OF HAPPINESS - Hope

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