And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

Jesus said unto her, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die” (John 11:25-26ab).

People everywhere honor life and the ability to live. Even though we all experience some level of unpleasantness during life, we all still hold fast to it and seek to continue to live. The impulse to exist and survive is primal and deeply rooted not just in mankind but also in all living creatures in the world. What makes life special?

Science can explain many things about our existence, but it cannot tell us why we exist. Various aspects of life can be manipulated in many ways, but we cannot create life from our own inventions nor can we easily explain how it could be that life exists in the first place. The end of life remains final; we cannot by our own ingenuity raise the dead.

Life, therefore, is a gift: a benefit and blessing no one deserves or ever could deserve. As a gift, it is something entirely out of our own control and most precious.

The Bible reveals how life is a gift bestowed upon many of the creations by the Creator God (Genesis 1:1-2:3). We are all given the opportunity to share in life under the sun. While some people enjoy longer lives, healthier lives, and/or better quality of life than others, all of us equally share in the gift of existence (Acts 17:26-28).

Since life is a precious gift from our Creator God, life is sacred. But what does the sanctity of life have to do with our daily existence? What makes life worth living?

The Creator God not only provides life but loves that which He has created (John 3:16, 1 John 4:8). Love does not seek its own but seeks to give and share with others; so it is that we exist, and God seeks a relationship with humans whom He created in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, John 17:20-23). On account of His love He does not force us to follow His ways. Nevertheless, He has made known to mankind through Jesus His Son how to truly live so that we may obtain everlasting life (John 11:25-26,1 John 5:20).

The way to truly perpetuate life is not found in scientific processes or in technological advancements; true life is only found in the God who freely gave us life and stands ready to provide eternal life (John 17:3). Therefore, we do best to seek after God and live in harmony with Him and His creation; to continue to live outside of His intention and will for His creation will result in separation from Him and alienation from the life that is in Him (Isaiah 59:2, Ephesians 4:18)!

Life is special and sacred, a gift from the Creator. He takes no pleasure in death; He wants everyone to enjoy life both now and forevermore (John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4). If we truly honor life as sacred, we will give praise to the One who gave us life and try to live according to His purposes; thus we can experience life as God always intended now and also obtain the resurrection of life forevermore. Let us honor and preserve life by aligning our will with God’s!