Meaning and purpose in life

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:4-10).

People have always struggled to find purpose for their lives. Ancient Greek philosophers debated about the purpose for mankind’s existence. The 1960s was a time when many people said that they needed to ‘find themselves.’ All over the world, people wrestle with the questions "why am I here?" and "What am I supposed to do with my life?"

Some people never come up with answers for these questions. They drift through life, sampling one religion after another, championing one cause after another, entering and leaving one relationship after another as they endlessly seek something that will fill them with purpose, make them feel alive and part of something important. Their lives are characterized by worry that they aren’t living up to their full potential, that time is slipping away from them.

Other people decide to give their lives meaning through some sort of great achievement. The pharaohs of Egypt built pyramids to keep their fame alive forever. Donald Trump named an office building after himself. Many millionaires set up scholarships or endowments that bear their names. By doing these things, they hope to give their lives meaning by permanently putting their mark on the world.

Many people choose not to face the question of why they were given life. Some are too lazy to seek the answer; others fear what might be expected of them. These kind of people avoid finding any meaning in life by frittering their time away with distractions. They might get drunk or get high so that their minds are too foggy to see the emptiness of their lives; others find comfort in the distractions of shopping or gambling. Some just zone out in front of the television or lose hours surfing the Internet.

And in the end, what is the point? What do these people achieve for themselves by acting this way? When people drift through life from noble cause to noble cause, relationship to relationship, does this result in a sense of purpose and peace? No—it only builds an ever-increasing pile of wasted opportunities and hurt feelings that add to the person’s anxiety that he is wasting his life. Not only does this person fail to achieve anything significant because he keeps changing his course, the ever increasing worry over a wasted life will actually shorten that life; a person who is lost and searching frantically for purpose ends up living a miserable life, likely capped off by an early death. A life of worry is pointless—Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27)

When people try to make themselves immortal, does this result in giving their lives lasting purpose? No. How many of you know the names of the Pharaohs who built the pyramids? How many of you know the names of your ancestors who lived at the time when America was discovered? How many students know anything about the person whose scholarship they applied for? King Solomon summed up the problem when he wrote, I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort...So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 2:17-23). The blunt fact of the matter is that when we are called to leave this world, we lose the ability to influence future generations.

When people distract themselves with alcohol or through shopping or entertainment, can they find contentment in a life that has no meaning? No. Mindless pursuit of distractions only empties the wallet, ruins the health of the idle, and blunts interest in getting involved in the lives of others. Such people will likely end life short of money, lonely, and with impaired health. Paul writes, At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures (Titus 3:3). Pursuit of pleasure results in slavery to it, and Solomon warns: He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich (Proverbs 21:17).

Meaning and purpose in our lives can come from only one source—the God who created us. Paul tells us, The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth...he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live... in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:24-28).

God not only gave us life, He also made each of us a unique individual, distinct from each other and individually precious to Him. God told Jeremiah, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart (Jeremiah 1:5). Jesus tells us, even the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Matthew 10:30). God is interested in us as individuals down to the finest detail.

God’s loving interest in us moved Him to send His Son Jesus to free us from sin so that we would not spend eternity separated from God, lost and without purpose. Paul tells us in the first chapter of Ephesians, In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ...In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. Before you or I were even conceived God knew us, knew that we could never live up to His expectations because of the sinful nature all humans are born with. So God designed a rescue plan for us; He sent His perfect Son to take responsibility for our ungodliness and suffer the punishment that we deserved from God. With our sins atoned for by Jesus, God always accepts our pleas for forgiveness and welcomes us into His loving eternal presence at the side of His dear Son. In 2nd Corinthians 5:21 Paul says of Jesus, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus suffered for every one of your sins so that you need never suffer God’s terrible anger. Jesus died and rose from the dead to assure you that death is not the end but only a transition to a new, better life. Jesus did these things for you. When Zacchaeus needed Jesus to forgive him and give his empty life meaning, Jesus said Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today (Luke 19:5). Jesus addressed this man’s needs personally, individually. Jesus addresses your needs the same way. You need never wonder why you are alive—you are alive because God created you and God loves you.

Not only that, but God gave you a purpose in life as well. Paul writes, we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Our lives are not empty of purpose—from before our birth, God has had things lined up for us to do. What are we to be doing? Scripture gives us the answer. Peter writes, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Paul says, We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus said, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). The good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do, are first and foremost to bring the Good News of Jesus’ offer of salvation to every person in our lives. We are to show our excitement at God’s great mercy to us, and we are to represent Jesus and His teachings to those who are without purpose in their lives because they have no relationship with God.

The other way that we do the good works of God is by faithful use of our hands and feet in caring for the needs of others. When speaking of the Final Judgment, Jesus gave the following illustration: Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me' (Matthew 25:34-40). We serve our Lord when we grow food to feed God’s children. We serve our Lord when we help provide water and electricity. We serve our Lord when we take in a foreign exchange student. We serve our Lord when we make clothing, when we care for the sick, when we are employed in protecting the vulnerable and caring for those lost in despair. When we do these kinds of tasks, whether as a volunteer or for pay, if we do them out of loving concern for others, they are good works dedicated to Jesus our King.

God has prepared opportunities for us to do good works. He has located us among people who need our witness and our help, and He has given us skills to be successful in doing what He has assigned us to do. A Christian need never wonder how he or she should be spending time—there is more than enough work to keep each of us busy in caring for the bodies and souls of the people who surround us every day. But God does not expect us to run ourselves into the ground; it has been the pattern from the beginning that man should take one day a week to rest. One day a week, God wants us to relax and recharge—and we recharge by listening to His word, placing our problems before Him in prayer, receiving strength through the Lord’s Supper, and finding encouragement through spending time with fellow believers. In this way, we are revitalized for the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

There is only one way to live that fills our lives with meaning. We can only know true peace when we have a relationship of love with God and dedicate ourselves to work in His service. When we live this way, we can look forward to Jesus’ welcome as we leave this life when He tells us, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! (Matthew 25:21)