Is it to go on holiday once a year, to possess a special car, to be in a good position at work? I was not missing out on any of it but I knew that this can’t be all. At the age of 20 I had great aims for life: I wanted to change the world! I decided that my life should be lived according to high moral standards that at the end I would be able to look back on it having done well.
Regularly on a Friday evening I met up with a friend to play chess in a nearby pub. Using the time not just for the game we discussed other issues of life. I in particular was interested in what life is all about and was questioning my friend. He could not find an answer that satisfied me fully, therefore the topic was not any longer brought up.

Still this unresolved question remained with me. As a result I tried to fill my mind intellectually in finding out more about the life of ancient Greeks and the Egyptians, cultures which developed high standards for living. I planned a trip to Greece in 1987.The motto of the journey was: “The foot-prints of Paul”. Not knowing much about Paul I took a New Testament with me (a gift of an aunt) which should point me into the right direction.
One evening in the hotel in Greece I started to read in the New Testament but it did not mean anything to me. This book appeared sealed. I thought that nobody possibly could really understand its content.
Even in reflecting on the philosophy of Sokrates I was not able to find an answer either of what life was really about. It gave me no description what would come after this life. Any other books eg. “The little prince” by Sant Exupery were of little help. The problem regarding this unanswered question became bigger and bigger. Maybe I should find the answer in hobbies, family, professional progression… Is there at all a real meaning of life?

At a later stage in my life I met up with Mark, a work colleague. He invited me to come along to some meetings from his church. One of the series was going to be: “The meaning of life!” I replied to Mark that this is just something personal where nobody really had been able to help me with.
I went to the meetings. Two things struck me:
- The life of Jesus and how he died. A life of the highest moral standards, an example as nobody else has left before and after.
- About God’s purpose in letting him die a cruel death because of the punishment for my wrong doings. But not only that – after the completion in fulfilling God’s ultimate aim in rescuing sinful men, Jesus was raised to a new life which he shares with those who believe in what he has done for them.

God became near, real to me. Up to that moment he was far apart of me, somewhere up in the sky. I marvelled about that deep love and understood its meaning: it showed me what life is really about.

I prayed and asked Jesus to become Lord of my life, to forgive all my wrong- doings I became clearly aware of and free me of them.
A remaining joy filled my inner being. Not any longer did I need to ‘change the world’. God changed me in giving me new perspectives for this life. This memorable day in May 1989 has built a firm foundation for my being. Since then I can reflect on a daily walk with my lord, experiencing many answers to prayers and do know that the promises with references to the New Testament are true:

And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. Matthew 28, V20

Jesus said:” I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11, V25 + 26