The Two Most Important Days of Our Life

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Mark Twain once said that the two most important days in a person’s life are the day he is born and the day he finds out why he was born.

The first part of that is undeniably true. 

The day you entered this world was a remarkable and significant day. But the second part, discovering why you were born, is something that can only be fully realized when you are born again. Until that moment, a person can search for purpose in career, relationships, achievement, pleasure, and countless other pursuits, and still come up achingly empty. 

Emptiness is not a design flaw; it’s actually a divine revelation.

It is a persistent, holy restlessness that Augustine described perfectly when he wrote, “Our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.”

The reason no earthly pursuit can fully satisfy that longing is rooted in something profound about the nature of both God and the design of humanity. We were created for spiritual communication, and that is something the natural mind cannot access unless we are first made alive in Christ. The Bible tells us plainly that “God is Spirit.” (John 4:24) He is not flesh and blood. He is not a physical being who can be discovered through a telescope, a laboratory, or even the most brilliant human intellect. And here is the problem every person faces before they are born again: they are essentially trying to tune into a frequency their receiver was not built to pick up. Paul explains this:

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14 

The word Paul uses for “natural man” refers to a person living solely in the realm of physical existence, someone whose spirit has not yet been made alive in Christ. Such a person may be extraordinarily intelligent, deeply philosophical, or genuinely sincere in their search. But spiritual truth always remains beyond their grasp, because spiritual things require a spiritual capacity to receive them.

This is why the new birth is not simply a religious decision or a moral improvement; it is a resurrection of our souls and spirits, which died when we committed our first sin. Jesus told Nicodemus, a highly educated and deeply religious man,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3  

Not only can he not enter the kingdom of God, he cannot even see any glimpse of it now. The things of God are invisible to the unborn spirit. But the moment a person is born again, everything changes. We are made alive to God, and we are able to discern God’s presence in a way that we never could before. When we are born again, our spirits, which were dead in trespasses and sins, are made alive in Christ. (Ephesians 2:1) And a living spirit can do something a dead one never could: it can communicate with God. It can hear His voice. It can receive His truth. It can sense His leading. For the first time, we have a receiver that is able to pick up the frequencies of God. Jesus promised: 

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13 

The Holy Spirit is our living connection between the born-again believer and the Father. He is the divine Interpreter, translating the deep things of God into the language of our souls. No amount of education, intelligence, or natural wisdom can replicate what He does. The most brilliant philosopher without the Spirit of God is like a master electrician working in a building with no power source. His knowledge may be impressive, but the lights will never come on. This is why Paul could write with such confidence: 

“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10 

The word “deep” here carries the idea of profound, hidden, and inexhaustible riches, the kind of depth that no human intelligence, however gifted, could plumb on its own. This is the exclusive territory of the Spirit of God, and He shares it freely with every born-again believer.

We live in a remarkable age of artificial intelligence and human achievement. Computers can now process unimaginable volumes of data, predict patterns, and solve problems that would take a human lifetime to unravel. And yet, for all of their breathtaking capabilities, no machine—no algorithm, no artificial intelligence, no amount of processing power—can answer the one question that matters most: 

Why am I here?

That question does not live in the realm of data. It lives in the realm of the spiritual world. And only God, the One who creates us—holds the answer. When God knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), He did not simply create a biological organism or machine. He fashioned an eternal soul with a specific design, a specific calling, and specific good works prepared in advance for you to walk in. (Ephesians 2:10) That purpose was not an afterthought; it was written into your very being before you drew your first breath. 

But like a letter written in a language you have not yet learned, it cannot be read until the Spirit of God gives you the capacity to understand it.

The born-again believer has access to something no self-help book, no career counselor, and no artificial intelligence can provide: direct communication with the God who made us and knows exactly what our unique divine purpose is. As Paul writes, 

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11

And that same Spirit now lives in you, ready to unfold, layer by layer, the purpose for which you were uniquely and intentionally created.

This purpose runs far deeper than a career path or a life goal. It is a calling woven into the eternal fabric of who you are: to bear the image of Christ, to do the works He prepared for you, and to bring glory to the Father in a way that only you, with your particular gifts, your particular story, and your particular place in history, can do. No one else can fulfill it, and you cannot discover it apart from God.

So yes, Mark Twain was onto something. There are two important days in a person’s life. But the second one is not simply the day you stumble upon a passion or land on a career that feels meaningful. It is the day you are born again — because that is the day your soul and spirit come alive, the communication lines with God open, and the Holy Spirit begins to breathe meaning, direction, and eternal purpose into every corner of your existence.

The two most important days of your life are the day you were born, and the day you are born again. Because that is the day you are able to discover your divine purpose. If you have never taken that step, today can be that day. And if you have already been born again, be encouraged: the Spirit who lives within you is still speaking, still guiding, and still unfolding the magnificent purpose for which God so carefully and lovingly made you. 

Seek to have the attitudes of Christ and the mind of Christ, and your life will never be the same!

Prayer:

Father, I stand in awe of the truth that You, the God of all creation, are not distant or unknowable, but that You have made a way for me to know You personally and deeply through Your Holy Spirit. I confess that I have too often searched for purpose in places that could never truly satisfy, when all along You were ready to reveal it to me through Your Spirit within me. Thank You for making my spirit alive in Christ. Thank You that I no longer have to navigate this life relying solely on my own intelligence or the wisdom of this world. Your Spirit searches the deep things of God, and He lives in me. I ask today that You quiet the noise of everything else competing for my attention, and help me to tune my heart to the voice of Your Spirit. Show me the good works You prepared for me before I was born. Unfold Your purpose for my life layer by layer, and give me the courage to walk in it faithfully. I do not want to miss a single thing You created me to do. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.