Finding purpose in each day

Let me alone; my days have no meaning (Job 7:16).

Why are you here? What purpose does your life serve? People have been asking themselves such things for thousands of years. While I can’t answer these questions with absolute certainty, I can offer you some possibilities to consider:

Maybe your purpose in life is to raise children. One of the first instructions God gave Adam and Eve was to start a family. Most couples do this by having babies; however, you can also participate in child rearing through adoption or by serving as a foster parent. But to do the job right, you must raise these little ones as Christians. Through Moses God said, These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). When you raise children as followers of Christ, your life has meaning.

Maybe the reason God put you here is to support others. Everyone needs food, and many people are involved in providing it—farmers and ranchers, people who fish or tend orchards, employees who run grain elevators and drive trucks and work in grocery stores. People also need clothing, housing, water and electricity. They need appliances to cook food and wash the laundry; they need cars, buses, and airplanes to get around. If you build, maintain, or provide these things to consumers, your life has meaning.

Maybe your reason for living is to offer protection. Because of sickness and injury, we need doctors and nurses and pharmacists. Because of criminals and those who are careless, we need police and fire fighters and the Coast Guard. Because of evil men hungry for power, we need folks to serve in the army, navy, air force and marines. If you work to protect others from danger, your life has meaning.

But this I know for sure—God put you here to serve Him. We can all worship God with joyful songs and prayers of thanks. We can all be examples of living faith, giving God credit for the good in our lives and trusting Him when things get scary. Every one of us can tell someone about Jesus and be God’s outstretched hand of welcome. And even if you are homebound or in a nursing home, you are still useful to God because other people can demonstrate their love for Him by how they take care of you. Not matter what your situation is, your life can have purpose and value.