Many great philosophers, secular as well as Christian, have explored this fundamental question, for a variety of reasons. If life has a purpose, it makes sense to find out what that purpose is, and to achieve it. If life doesn’t have a purpose, there is nothing to accomplish – which may be liberating to some, but is frustrating to others.
One thing is for sure: if life has a purpose, it was intentionally created for that purpose.
There can be no purpose to life if life was a random byproduct of random processes.
1. Why would we want to know about the purpose of life?
Well, not everybody does. There are enough challenges in life without wanting to worry about a universal or personal ‘purpose’ to our existence. But especially if life is a rollercoaster with more downs than ups, knowing that there might be a purpose to it, helps to put things into perspective. Generally, people tend to be less preoccupied with the purpose of life when all is well. It’s when we have to face struggles and suffering that we may become desperate to find out if it’s all going to be ‘worth it’, somehow.
In such circumstances, the absence of a purpose makes life a random and pointless journey – or in fact it’s not a journey at all, because without a purpose, we’re not going anywhere – which leaves people embittered, and at risk of losing hope.
The Good News is: life does have a purpose. Further good news is: we can find out what it is.
2. Why is there a purpose for life?
BiblWord’s premise is that life was created by God. This starting point is essential for the assumption that life has a purpose. God created life, so He must have had a reason for life to exist; He has a purpose for it.
Furthermore, in light of the fact that Jesus paid the highest penalty to bridge the gap between mankind and God, and achieve reconciliation, it must be extremely important to God that at some point in the future, we join Him in His presence. According to verses such as Revelation 21:3-4; 22:5 and Psalm 16:11, the place where we will join Him will be most pleasant. Intriguingly, it is beyond our comprehension to imagine what it will be like, as per 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” Once in this heavenly dwelling place, our hearts will be so full of joy and gratitude that glorifying Him in all eternity will feel like a privilege rather than a task!
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
However, this is a wonderful promise for the after-life, not life itself. So, what is our purpose while we are here on earth?
3. What is the overall purpose of life?
Let’s remind ourselves of the fact that life cannot have a purpose if it wasn’t created on purpose. Therefore we must first consider what God may have had in mind when He created us. The Bible clarifies that our purpose in life is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Verses like Romans 11:36 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 attest to this and acknowledge this.
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
However, God has not restricted our choices in life to reflect this purpose.
Man has been given free will and is able to choose a path in life and/or lifestyle that doesn’t glorify God. We have freedom to make all sorts of decisions.
What does this freedom mean for the achievement of our purpose? Are we at risk of losing the purpose of our life?
4. What is the purpose of MY life, according to God?
Firstly, seeking God’s purpose for your life will not disadvantage you. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart,” Psalms 37:4 says. God leaves room for your personal wishes and aspirations, yet will bless you and them if you delight in Him. At the same time, the ‘desires of your heart’ are ultimately not what God designed you for. His concern is for you to join Him in His presence. He has loved the world and you so much that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16) to ensure that the world and you are able to join Him for all eternity. This will require you to believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and will likewise require all others to do the same.
Perhaps it is fair to say that the purpose God had in mind when He created mankind, is not for this life but for the next, and that when in Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus told His disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” this actually summarizes what our ‘purpose’ is: serving God by ensuring that as many of us as possible, join Him.
In doing so, we are encouraged by the words of Isaiah 12:2 – “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.”
5. How should I view my purpose in life?
In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, the apostle Paul says: “Therefore we make it our aim <…> to be well pleasing to Him.” This aim is rather different from the world’s idea of ‘purpose in life’, which tends to be about forging a career, acquiring possessions, and gaining a certain standing or standard of living in society.
And it would seem to be even further away from the more extravagant ‘purposes in life’, such as ‘becoming famous’ or ‘saving the world’.
Sharing with others, Jesus’s love for people in order to be ‘well pleasing to God’, may appear to be a humble and perhaps slightly abstract ‘purpose in life’, but in reality, God’s purpose for our lives is grander and worth more than any other objective one might think of.
Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “And the King”[of Kings] “will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’”
If you help, look after, or provide for someone else, you will actually have served our Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega. Does anything you do get any more important than this…..?