What's the point of living?

God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

What’s the point of living? That’s the question asked by scientists who believe in evolution. That’s the question asked by people who are thinking about suicide. That’s the question mourners ask as they gather at a funeral home. What’s the point of living?

Some don’t believe that there is any point to life. Humans are just hairless apes, evolved from bacteria. There is no purpose to life except to enjoy it as best you can. You might as well eat, drink and live it up, because eventually you’re gonna die. What you get out of life depends entirely on what you put into it. If life becomes unpleasant, then there is no reason to preserve it.

Others believe that life should be used to make the world a better place. In their view, you can achieve immortality by the legacy that you leave behind. You can live on through the children that you raise. You can leave a lasting mark on the world by sponsoring important legislation, by creating a successful business, or by winning a war. You can change history forever by making a medical discovery or inventing some new technology. Life has value if you have personality, skills, or good luck.

Then there is the Christian view. For us, all human life has value. We look at life from God’s perspective, a perspective that He shares with us in the Bible. In God’s view, life is not defined by how much fun we have or what kind of impact we have on the world around us. God sees us as His children, and that is more than enough to give our lives importance. We were made for a purpose—to love our heavenly Father and love each other. Since we are often unsure how to love as the Lord wants us to, God uses the Bible to spell it out—thank God for the gift of life, honor Him with your obedience, and love others by caring for them in every type of need. And if the words of Scripture are not clear enough, God sent His own Son as a living example of what true love is. In Jesus, we see that love can pull people back from doing wrong, and offer forgiveness when they are sorry for causing harm. In Jesus we see that love is generous, because God sent His only Son to die on the cross so that we might escape the punishment our sins deserved. Through Jesus, God shows us that everyone has a reason to live—because everyone is a child of God, and can reflect His love in their lives.