The Question Jay-Z never answered: What's the meaning of Life?

Note: Read this blog to the end. I'll treat you to a lunch or a cup of coffee if you take the challenge at the end! 

Hip-hop purists remember Jay-Z before he was a business mogul and pop culture icon. 

One of his first songs was called In My Lifetime, a song where Jay-Z raps about why he can't settle for a mediocre lifestyle. The underground hit also featured the In My Lifetime remix. In the remix, a female vocalist asks the same question repeatedly in the chorus. 

"What's the meaning? What's the meaning of life?" 

The curious thing about the song is that Jay-Z never attempts to answer the question during the song. However, it's hard to blame him. The meaning of life is a big question, and it's a question that's not easy to answer. 

In fact, ask yourself what you would say if someone were ask you what is the meaning of life. 

Follow up by completing this statement. I would be completely happy if ... 

The way you fill in that statement will show you exactly where your hope is in this life. 

I have a friend who wrote an amazing song about this. The lyrics to Phanatik's song Driven go something like this:

We long for timelessness, may if our accomplishments

ever delivered what they promised, if 

life's pleasures were everlasting then I'm additin' 

This might bring God some competition

But everything is short-lived; 

forget about the fortune, forgive the sportsmen and

the actor, slash rapper, entertainer

for making us think that money can sustain us

There are things in life that money can buy

For everything else, an empty shelf inside

Ask the rich man, "Which hand, right or left, 

with which hand do you carry your treasures to life after death?" 

There's a book in the Bible called Ecclesiastes. In this book, the writer goes on a search to see what in life has meaning apart from God. It's a fascinating study. Part of what makes the book so fascinating is the writer's unique qualifications to search out this question. Imagine a man that is:

• wealthy like Warren Buffet
• surrounded by more women than Hugh Heffner
• More wise than Socrates and the great philosophers

The search for meaning is the subject of  The "Meaningless" sermon series at Holy Cross PCA in Staunton. The series preached by my pastor and friend Rick Gilmartin is well the listen, and you can find the link here

In fact, I think the series could be so life changing for you that I'll issue you a challenge. If you choose one of the sermons and listen to it, I'll take you our for coffee or (a very cheap) lunch to discuss it. 

I write these blogs as conversation starters. I would love to hear how you define the meaning of life. 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five crazy kids and a freelance writer for HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com, Young Life Relationships and other publications. Moody Publishers released his first book in July of 2013. You can read about You're Grounded here.