Many senior citizens in today's society have the means to live, but lack a purpose to live for.  The vast majority of senor citizens resign themselves to the doldrums, self-focusing and to being mesmerized and programmed by satellite TV.

Many modern thinkers have rejected the existence of God, yet they recognize that life is without meaning if there is no God.  Still, they live lives of despair, or escape this despair through an existential leap, rather than submit to God who gives meaning to life.  Senior citizens, as well as the vast majority of people in the world today, go through life never achieving the purpose of their creation.  What a sad day it would be in eternity to have God say to us, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."  We should want the Lord to say to us instead, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

There is a key to happiness. A key that will unlock a person's possibilities and potentialities. It is to discover your prime purpose, and perform as if your very life depends on it -- because it does.  Without question, we have the choice to live a life of meaning, or one that brings regret.  If we live another 10 years that is 3,650 days.  In 20 years, we will have lived only 7,300 days, and if we live 30 more years, we will have lived only 10,950 days.  Look how fast the year 2009 has flown by.  Time is running out. We are spending the ONLY life we have to live.  The question is, "What are we living for?"

Life without God is useless and absurd.  Despair is inevitable for all who recognize the futility found in the temporary pleasures of life.  True satisfaction can only be found in God.  Once man acknowledges God's existence, the works of man are no longer meaningless.  What we do on earth takes on eternal significance, for we must all give an account to God for our actions.  God alone gives genuine meaning to life.  He is the reason for our existence.

Solomon attempted to find meaning and purpose in life apart from God.  He found none.  In Ecclesiastes 2:2-11, 16-25, he said, "I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and I had homebound slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men-- many concubines. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. And all that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun....For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!....So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil. For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?"

He goes on to state that God has placed eternity in the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  Though man cannot fully understand the ways of God, he has an enate longing for the eternal things of God.  However, if man acknowledges his God and serves Him, life has meaning and eternal significance.

Solomon closes Ecclesiastes with wise words. "The conclusion, when all has been heard is: fear God and keep His Commandments, because this applies to every person.  For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

There is no greater joy than having a purpose higher than your self.  For my own life, at almost 71, when most people are thinking of retiring, God's purpose energizes me and is like the old carrot on a stick trick -- pressing me onward to win the prize.  I somehow feel, I am just NOW getting started.

In the end, we need to be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course.  I have kept the faith." "For me to live is Christ and die is gain."