What it Means to be Human: From a Christian’s Point of View

What does it mean to be human? If you were to look up the definition online it wouldn’t help much, only stating that a human has the characteristics of — you guessed it — a human being. It goes without saying that humans are unlike any other animal. Humans can talk, construct buildings, write, read and just about anything else you can imagine. You can’t find any other mammals who can do most of these things. The humans are the most developed species there is and many wonder, what is their true place in the world? What does it take for a human to thrive? These are some big questions and there’s more than one answer for each of them.

I myself am a Christian and I believe that God created every species in the world, and that includes humans; what He considers the pinnacle of his creations. God created man in His own image, and He did so for them to live fulfilling lives and to follow the path He has planned for each and every one of them. No two paths are the same, which is something to consider when asking the question of what it means for a human being to have an enriching life. Most people believe to have a thriving life, you need to go to college, get a job and have a family of your own, but that’s not always the case. College, for example, while a good decision, isn’t the path that everyone takes. Take Bill Gates for example; he dropped out of Harvard, created Microsoft and is now one of the richest humans in the world. Sounds pretty successful to me.

One of the most enriching things when it comes to having a job isn’t always the income. Just because you’re making a lot of money doesn’t make you happy. In my opinion, the biggest thing to consider when choosing your career is what do you truly love to do? You are much more successful doing a job you love than you are doing a job that makes you rich. Why would teachers for elementary school, junior high and high school choose to work in their field when they clearly don’t get paid enough for the work they do? Because they like to teach, it’s what they’re good at and they’re helping so many children gain the one thing every child needs; an education. Not everyone is going to enjoy teaching, just like not everyone is going to enjoy accounting or being a lawyer or running a company. It all depends on their personality, and whatever job makes them the happiest is the one that enriches their lives the most.

Another thing that enriches many humans’ lives in more ways than one, is by helping others. This makes sure someone is not only thriving themselves, but helping other humans thrive as well. Helping someone else can happen in a variety of ways. A human can donate to charities, volunteer at a local soup kitchen or other organization or even just help someone who dropped their books. It’s hard to ignore the happy feeling one gets when they help someone else. You don’t have to give a lot; every bit helps. Back on my point of God, He helps the human species every day even if they don’t realize it and He wants them all to do the same for those around them.

In conclusion, whatever path that makes a human the happiest is the path that will enrich their lives the most. Whether that means taking the traditional college, job and family route, choosing to skip college and pursue a different path, or any other path there is to take, humans can find enriching lives in many ways. I personally believe as long as you follow the path that God has laid out for you, you’ll have the most thriving life of them all.