What is the Meaning of Life?

Have you ever pondered the meaning of life? Why are you here? Is it even possible to know the meaning of life? When asked, most people stumble around for an answer, or they have no answer at all. This is unfortunate because without knowing that our life has meaning, we're apt to try and find meaning in meaningless places. Here's the good news; your life does have meaning and it's not hard to find it if you look in the right place.

“Without knowing that our life has meaning, we’re apt to try and find meaning in meaningless places.”

Thankfully, the Bible tells us the meaning of life, and it's found in the very first chapter. Genesis 1 gives the account of creation, and in that account is where we find meaning for our lives.

God's creation gives meaning to your life through meaningful relationships.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created us in His image and likeness. His main reason for doing that is so we could be in close relationship with Him. Think about that for a minute. The Creator of the universe gave you life for the main purpose of being in a close relationship with Him, both here on earth now and in heaven for eternity. 

Because relationships are so important to God, He wired us with a desire for relationships. That's why healthy relationships are so important, because we need them. But God didn't create you to just be in relationship with Him alone, He created you to be in relationship with others (1 John 1:3). Life can only have meaning when we're living in community. Sadly, broken and dysfunctional relationships have caused many people to withdraw from others, which keeps them from experiencing healthy and meaningful relationships. If that describes you, please don't let the hurt of past relationships keep you from experiencing what God has for you today.

God's highest value is loving relationships. If it weren't for God's desire for relationship, it's most likely there would be no creation. Well, at least not a creation that included you.

“If it weren’t for God’s desire for relationship, it’s most likely there would be no creation. Well, at least not a creation that included you.”

God's creation gives meaning to your life through a sense of purpose.

Without purpose, there is no meaning. That's not only a biblical truth, it's true in every aspect of life. For so many years of my life, especially as a young adult, I was on an unquenchable search for significance instead of living with a sense of purpose. My life was filled with activity but lacking any real fulfillment. We all need to feel significant, but real significance comes from knowing and living out our purpose in life. 

“We all need to feel significant, but real significance comes from knowing and living out our purpose in life. ”

While we all have a purpose that is specific to our talents and abilities, God gave us all a general purpose under which all our other purposes must fall. In Genesis 1:28, God gives us (mankind) the mandate to subdue the earth and rule over it. Make no mistake, this is God's earth. He created it, He's sovereign over it, and He can do whatever he wants. But in His sovereignty, God has decided to give management of the earth to us. He not only gives us this responsibility, He also gives us the power and authority to carry it out.

When God told us to subdue the earth, He meant to bring it into submission. That seems confusing, since God created a perfect place for Adam and Eve to live. So what does it mean for us to bring the earth under submission? The answer may surprise you.

Before the creation of man, Lucifer (Satan) led a revolt against God and was joined by one-third of the angels. As a result, the Bible tells us in Isaiah 14:12 that they were kicked out of heaven and cast down to the earth. So the kingdom of darkness was on the earth when God created Adam and Eve. In the midst of that darkness He created the Garden of Eden, which was the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and the dwelling place of mankind. God's mandate to us is to advance the Kingdom of Heaven - the Kingdom of Light - by pushing back the kingdom of darkness and bringing it into submission. Mankind was given the power and authority to accomplish that. We were created with a sense of purpose.

“God’s mandate to us is to advance the Kingdom of Heaven - the Kingdom of Light - by pushing back the kingdom of darkness and bringing it into submission. Mankind was given the power and authority to accomplish that. We were created with a sense of purpose.”

As you are well aware, Adam and Eve fumbled the ball and Satan recovered it. But that wasn't the end of the game. When Jesus came to earth He got the ball back through His sinless life, death, and resurrection. Because I'm a football fan, I used the phrase recovered the ball as a metaphor for what Jesus called the keys of the kingdom in Matthew 16:19. In other words, Satan convinced Adam and Eve to give him the keys to the kingdom (power and authority) but Jesus came and got them back. Using different words but pertaining to the same principle as Genesis 1:28, Jesus restates our mandate to advance the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

As we look around our world today, it may appear as if the kingdom of darkness has the upper hand. Be assured, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness are not equal kingdoms, fighting to see who wins. The Bible clearly tells us, in many places (such as Isaiah 60:1-2) that even as darkness covers the earth, the kingdom of light will overtake the darkness and the glory of God will cover the earth. That's our purpose; to step out in faith as followers of Jesus and radiate His glory to push back the darkness. There's nothing more significant than that!

God's creation gives meaning to life because it reveals your great value.

Throughout the creation account, God declares that His creation is good. In fact, after God created man, He declared His creation very good (Genesis 1:31). That includes you! You are declared a good piece of work by God! 

In the biblical account of creation, God not only declares your value, He shows it through the rest of what He created. One hundred percent of God's creation is for your benefit and enjoyment. That's what love does; it works for the benefit and enjoyment of others. It's interesting to note that the word love is not attributed to God anywhere in the book of Genesis. And yet, His love for you is profoundly evident in all that He created for you.

When Jesus was ministering on the earth, many marginalized people were questioning their value to God. In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus told them that even the lowly sparrow was known and valued by our Heavenly Father. His point was that if a sparrow is highly valued by God, how much more valuable are you to Him than a sparrow?

God not only demonstrates His value for you by caring for you, but according to Zephaniah 3:17, He actually sings and dances with delight over you! Most Bible translations say He rejoices over you with singing, which doesn't say anything about dancing. But the Hebrew word for rejoicing means to "spin around under the influence of joyful emotion". That's dancing! It's one thing for someone to love and care for you, but it's quite another for them to be so delighted with you that they sing and dance because of you!

Life has meaning when you know you're valued. God's value for you is shown in creation by all that He made for you, and the fact that He created you because He wants to be with you.

“Life has meaning when you know you’re valued. God’s value for you is shown in creation by all that He made for you, and the fact that He created you because He wants to be with you.”

Action Points

It's one thing to know the meaning of life as information, but at some point it needs to lead to transformation. 

• Ask the Holy Spirit to deepen your relationship with Jesus and bring health to your relationships with others. 

• Ask Him to renew your sense of purpose as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. 

• And finally, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you just how much the Father loves you, cares for you, and delights in you.