There are moments in life that define everything that comes after. God gives them to everyone. Some are quiet—a whispered conviction, a book opened at the right verse, or an unexpected, Divinely appointed meeting. Others are dramatic, like a young man lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak, unsure if he will live or die.
At 17 years old, Ravi Zacharias attempted suicide, swallowing poison in a desperate bid to escape the meaninglessness he felt in life. He had grown up in a nominal Christian home, and by his own admission, he was not born again. His teenage years were marked by aimlessness, academic failure, and a deep sense of futility. He later said he felt like a disappointment—adrift, with no clear reason for living.
In the hospital, critical and disoriented, a local Christian worker handed his mother a Bible and asked her to read to him. She opened it to John Chapter 14, and read the words of Jesus: “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19) These words of Jesus pierced Ravi’s darkness and ignited a longing for life. In that hospital bed, Ravi prayed something like this:
“Jesus, if You are the one who gives life as it is meant to be, I want it. Please get me out of this hospital bed well, and I promise I will leave no stone unturned in my pursuit of truth.”
Ravi was born again. And not only was he healed from the poison, he was transformed from the inside. God showed him that life was not something to be minimized, avoided, or ended in despair. It was a gift with a purpose. A calling. A mission. Jesus introduced him to the meaning of what it means to have a truly “abundant life.”
Ravi moved to Canada, pursued theological training, and devoted his life to answering deep questions about God, truth, meaning, and eternity. He founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), traveling across more than seventy nations to proclaim the Gospel and help others find hope in Christ.
My friend, Jesus doesn’t offer the promise of “life” as some sort of sad little existence. He offers us a life that is worthy of becoming the centerpiece of our existence: “Because I live, you also will live,” means when we are living in Christ, we have the opportunity to live with purpose and hope that exceeds our greatest imagination.
Does this describe your life?
I’ll bet each person reading this has been in a place where their life seemed unimportant, mundane, hopeless, meaningless, and…you fill in the blank. But Jesus promised:
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:9-10
Our greatest love, peace, joy, satisfaction, comfort, wisdom, strength, and…all we need and desire…comes from Jesus. Until we make Him the center of our life, our life will never be satisfying, meaningful, or important.
Ravi found his meaning in Christ. He never forgot that he was someone who should have died at 17. He lived with urgency because he knew his life was given back by grace. He didn’t claim to be some great intellect or have great charisma. He had gratitude, and it was his daily motivation. His life was full of the passion of Christ—to engage people, to share the Gospel, and to answer the hard questions with truth. His journey took him into war zones, university forums, and places where people’s minds and hearts were hungry for answers.
Each of us who have accepted the gift of salvation, have the same opportunity to seize our Divine purpose for today. You are reading this because someone shared God’s Word with you, prayed for you; or maybe just held your hand through a difficult time. God has a glorious purpose for your life. His call is personal. It is designed just for you. He wants you to discover who He created you to be. He calls every believer to live with intention—to love God, to love others, and to steward this life as a gift and a mission.
Your life is not an accident. It is not a tragedy. Your story, especially your testimony of salvation, is the one story that may write the victory for someone who is not saved. Share it.
Live like eternity matters.
Prayer:
Thank You for the gift of life—especially the life we have in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that You meet us in our darkest moments and call us into Your light. We acknowledge that without You, we are lost, but with You, we are alive and have purpose. Give us courage to live with urgency, to pursue truth, and to love others like You love us. Use our stories to point others to You. May our lives proclaim that because You live, we also live—with hope, with meaning, and with eternal purpose. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Sources / Bibliography
- Zacharias, Ravi. Can Man Live Without God? W Publishing Group, 1994. (Ravi recounts his suicide attempt, hospitalization, and encounter with John 14 in multiple autobiographical sections.)
- Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. “The Life and Legacy of Ravi Zacharias.” https://www.rzim.org (Official ministry background and testimony summaries.)
- Wikipedia contributors. “Ravi Zacharias.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Zacharias (Overview of his life, suicide attempt at 17, conversion, education, and global ministry.)
- Thirst Magazine (Singapore). “Thank You, Ravi.” https://thirst.sg/thank_you_ravi/ (Article recounting Ravi’s hospital conversion and the significance of John 14:19.)
- Total Devotion Blog (MBCLA). “Ravi Zacharias (1946–2020): A Singular Life.” https://totaldevotionmbcla.wordpress.com/2020/05/20/ravi-zacharias-1946-2020-a-singular-life/ (Narrative reflection on his testimony, calling, and global impact.)
- Zacharias, Ravi. The Logic of God. Zondervan, 2019. (Contains personal reflections on purpose, meaning, and the life he believed God gave back to him.)
