“Is this life worth living after going through childhood sexual abuse?” How often do you ask yourself this question? No matter how often you wonder why you are alive today, I believe there is always a good reason why you are on this planet.”
The answer to that question is, “Yes,” life is worth living. Maybe you are going through a difficult season, but don’t be discouraged because your life is so worthy. You may not see it now, but sooner or later, you might be able to discover why God placed you on Earth.
First, before we discuss how worth your life is, let me tell you a story to illustrate today’s topic. This story is about a young man who discovered why God created him.
Although this story is fictional/parable, I pray it will speak to you intimately. You never know how a simple parable could impact your life.
An encouraging story
The story is about a young man who understands his life is worth living. We will call him James.
James grew up in an orphanage. He knew nothing about his biological family except that his Mom had him at 15. His teenage mother gave him away because her family didn’t want to keep him.
The family saw James as a burden because they couldn’t afford to care for him. Although it was against James’ Mother’s will, she dropped him off at a local orphanage right after birth and never returned.
The orphanage was the only place he knew about. Not only did he feel rejected and abandoned by his family, but life wasn’t easy there either. Every single day, he experienced pain and misery caused by others.
Despite all of that, James loved school and enjoyed learning new skills. He tried to stay out of trouble by being a good kid at home and school.
Unfortunately, things only got worse for him; his school teacher started touching him inappropriately. The teacher threatened him, and James was scared to tell anyone about it. These abuses lasted for years.
As a 9-year-old boy, he didn’t have anyone to talk to. The older kids from his orphanage and school would beat him frequently for no apparent reason. Every night, he would crawl into his bed covered with bruises, tears running down his face, and a broken heart.
His best childhood memories revolved around a few hours he spent helping in the kitchen. The orphanage house cook, Aunt Maria, was a loving and compassionate middle-aged Christian woman who brought so much joy into James’ little life.
James looked forward to being around Aunt Maria daily because it was the only place he felt safe, loved, and accepted. He also enjoyed being in the kitchen because he learned new recipes daily.
Aunt Maria used to read him Bible Stories every night after dinner. She often taught him hymns and Gospel songs. They would sing along and worship together as well. And Aunt Maria gave James the greatest gift the night she led him to Christ (by praying the Salvation Prayer).
Before James went to bed, Aunt Maria would warmly hug him. To James, that was the only physical touch he experienced that didn’t cause him pain. He felt safe around her, and he started learning to trust Adult people for the first time in his life.
A few years later, when James turned 12, Aunt Maria got very sick. They quickly took her to the Hospital, and that’s when she discovered that she had Terminal cancer (stage IV breast cancer). Sadly, she only had a few months left to live.
As expected, she grew weaker and weaker in less than six months, then passed away. James’ world crumbled! The only person he trusted died when he needed her the most.
One year later, he started having these unusual thoughts. He couldn’t see the meaning of life anymore, and sadly he became suicidal.
By God’s grace, the people caring for him at the orphanage noticed a change in his behavior. He wasn’t doing well, so they suggested he start therapy sessions with a local Christian therapist. He agreed to get help.
A few months after he started attending therapy sessions, he became more devoted to his walk with Jesus Christ. And his life began to turn around.
Even though his life seemed safer since he became more devoted to his faith, some things remained the same. For instance, his heart had too many wounds that couldn’t heal immediately.
One night, as he was reading the Bible before bed, he remembered what Aunt Maria used to tell him. She would say:
“My Son, you can talk to God anytime you want. He is always watching over you. And He is a good listener.”
The questions James asked God
So James decided to try out what Aunt Maria used to tell him. He asked God:
“Is it true that You are always listening and watching over me? If so, why do I have so many questions but not seem to get an answer from you? Why did You take Aunt Maria away from me when I needed her the most?
I often ask myself, “Is this life worth living? “If yes, why did I go through so much as a kid? Can You please prove to me that this life is worth living? ”
He was so eager to see if God would answer his many questions. Suddenly, he remembered this verse he had read a few days ago.
"Ask me, and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” -Jeremiah 33:3 NLT
So he grabbed his notebook. He knelt, closed his eyes, and prayed:
“LORD, the Bible says that if I ask You, You will tell me remarkable secrets about the future. So tell me, what makes this life worth living? I can’t see the future, but You can. Please show me why You placed me on this planet?”
Then he heard a calm and smooth voice deep down in his heart, whispering:
“ Write down all of your heart’s desires, from the smallest to the greatest, the least important ones to the most important.”
“My heart’s desires!” He exclaimed. But with a leap of faith, he obeyed that calm, smooth voice he had heard earlier. He understood that it was the Holy Spirit speaking to him.
James’ heart’s desires
- “I would like to help people in need as much as possible.”
- “I want to help orphans find safe homes.”
- “I would like to have my own family. Wife and children.”
- ” When I grow up, I want to become a Chef and open my own Restaurant.”
God granted James’ heart’s desires within the next couple of decades.
- In his early twenties, he graduated from a culinary school, became a Professional Chef, and opened multiple restaurants nationwide.
- He would denote goods and funds to organizations that help orphans across the globe.
- He got married and had children. His new family was an excellent support for his dreams and ambitions.
- He would create fun events for teenagers and kids undergoing therapy sessions due to childhood sexual abuse.
- With the help of his wife, they led a virtual support group meant to preach the Gospel and bring hope to pregnant and Teen Moms.
- He donated funds to the breast cancer treatment hospitals to honor Aunt Maria.
Lessons to learn from James’ story
After reading this story, you may think: “Well, that is such a beautiful fairy tale! Life is way too complicated than that!”
I agree that life is full of surprises. We don’t always get what we want. However, the goal here is not to discuss unrealistic expectations. Someone might be reading this story and saying, “This sounds exactly like my own life story.”
The good news is that this story might be speaking to you after all. All God asks of you is that you open your heart and pay close attention to what He is saying. The Bible says that God is waiting for you to come to Him.
"So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help."
- Isaiah 30:18
Today, maybe, just maybe, you might find answers to that question you have been asking yourself for a long time; “Is this life worth living?” But before we continue, let me tell you a little about my story.
If you want to understand God’s plans for our lives, please click this link to learn more: “LORD, help me understand Your plans.”
My story
When I was 14 years old, I was going through a challenging period. Around that time, I started questioning whether my life was worth living. Fortunately, it was also around that time that I somehow discovered some of my greatest heart’s desires.
This one time, I randomly started reading one of my older sister’s books. I was never interested in reading until that specific book caught my attention. It was a Christian Book that changed my life by shifting my mindset.
I remember little about the book’s subject, but I remember that the Author was an African Pastor. Every word in that little book stirred up something new in me.
Surprisingly, I was overwhelmed with joy when I finished reading that book. That is when I said to myself, “When I grow up, I want to become a Christian writer.”
The funny thing is that, at that time, I wasn’t a Born-again Christian (I wasn’t saved), yet the Holy Spirit set off that dream in me.
Several years have passed, and I have just launched this blog. ItBlogan honor and privilege to use my writing skills and personal experiences to help those in need. Even if this Blog is Blogl in its infant phase, I believe its full potential is ahead.
At only 14 years old, I started to believe that God would use me to help the lives of many. Although it seemed random at the time, reading my sister’s Christian book gave me great hope for the future. So, I understood that my life was worth living.
I believe that your age doesn’t really matter when it comes to discovering your heart’s desires. You might give yourself different excuses, such as, “Well, I am just a teenager! Let me grow up a little bit. Then, I will discover what I want to do later in life. Maybe I will start thinking about it in my twenties.”
Unfortunately, most people have a similar mindset. However, the earlier you discover your calling, the less wandering you will endure. Having a vision for your life at a young age will save you a lot of headaches in your adult life.
To learn more about my story, click these links: “My Salavtion Storty” and “About me.”
How to discover your heart desires
Today, I would like to invite you to examine your life. Go ahead and ask God to reveal what’s hidden underneath your heart. He will show you what are your heart desires.
But first, you must understand that not all heart desires come from God. Some of them come from our selfish motives. Therefore, the best way to discern if it comes from Him is by examining the reasons behind them.
If your desires hover around these three famous words, ” me, myself, and I,” their motives might be selfish ambitions. Your heart’s primary goal should be to serve God and others, not put your interests first.
"The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne, he observes all who live on the Earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do."
-Psalms 33:13-15 NLT
As you can see, this passage above shows us how intimately God knows us. The LORD God understands everything about you. He made you; only He can reveal what lies in your heart.
The next steps
Before we go any further, I would like to mention that the LORD GOD will reveal hidden secrets to people who belong to Him. So, would you like to belong to GOD so that you can start having a personal relationship with Him?
"If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9 NLT.
The Bible says:
By praying the Salvation prayer, you willingly give access to the Holy Spirit to live inside your spirit. And from there, He will start supernaturally changing your life.
Are you ready to receive Jesus Christ as Your Lord and Savior?
Pray like this:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and your mercy. Thank you for loving me regardless of my many sins. Today, I pray that you will forgive me for my sins. I invite you in my heart and accept you as my Lord and Savior.
Change, transform, and make me a new creation from the inside out. Help me walk in Your path daily with the help of the Holy Spirit.
From this day forward, may You have complete control over my life. I surrender my life to You, Jesus Christ.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me and making me yours forever. Amen!”
So, now that you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, feel free to pour your heart into Him. Once you receive Christ, His Holy Spirit comes and lives inside your spirit.
Do you feel ready to quiet your heart and listen to what the Holy Spirit has for you? I believe now is the perfect time to list what you desire.
Think about your greatest heart desires, then write them down in a journal. You can write them down from the least important to the most important. Leave nothing behind!
The LORD God can reveal to you exactly why He created you. So pray over your heart desires as often as possible. Little by little, God will show you which path to take to achieve your heart desires.
May you always remember these verses below as you go through this journey. Proverbs 3:5-6New Living Translation
Conclusion
As you can see, after examining your list, you can start understanding why God placed you on this Earth. Hopefully, your list doesn’t have any selfish motives behind it.
Now, I hope you understand that God placed you on Earth so that you could serve Him and others. Let this verse below explain to you the end goal of being chosen by God to help others.
“Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the LORD your God fights for you, just as he has promised. -Joshua 23:10 NLT
“Each one of you” means every single person who is willing to be used by God. “Put to flight a thousand of the enemy” literally means that God will give you the power to stop anything that stopped you and those around you from having a rich and satisfying life Jesus has to offer.
In James’ story, we see how he used his gifts and talents to help orphans, and teenagers. He became God’s instrument and changed many lives.
In my story, I would keep repeating that it is a great privilege to see how God uses my writing skills and personal experiences to help others.
What about your story? Although it might still be in the making, know that God is allowing you to become the answer to someone else’s problem. Don’t be afraid to give God a chance to show you what a mighty person you truly are.
For many years, you sought to discover if life was worth living. You have tried so many ways to find meaning in life. I pray that from now on, you will approach this matter with a different perspective. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen!
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